The Goddess of War and Death
by LR Earl
Summary: From above, they make small things that have a profound impact. Hermione journeys to save a life. Little does she know that the Old Gods have plans for her and Draco Malfoy, whose time is slowly running out. EWE Celtic/Greek mythology references, M for language, graphic scenes
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: Long ago Morgana Le Faye brought her dying brother, Arthur to Avalon to heal him of his grave injury. Thousands of years later, Hermione finds herself on the same path for the last person she expected. Never one to believe in destiny, Hermione Granger joins with Draco Malfoy in a race against time to find the Chalice of Healing in the lost, mythical land of Avalon. Gods and Goddesses intervene as they most often do and circumstances are set in motion that cannot be undone. Join our heroes as they face untold dangers before death claims one of their own._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the characters found within; they belong to JK Rowling. I am simply playing in their world for a moment.**

Chapter One

* * *

Her royal blue robes swept from side to side as she walked swiftly towards her appointed meeting. She held her head high as she walked down the too-familiar hallways of the Ministry of Magic. Too many trials had her ever coming up to these halls, once for her own trial, another for her son, and yet another for husband, yet she still held her head high. She was a free woman, and even though she could feel their leering meters away, she walked resolute towards her destination.

"Name please." A young witch no older than her son asked her, her gaze lost in a book.

"Narcissa Malfoy. Minister Shacklebolt is expecting me," She clipped as the woman's gaze slowly rose from the book she was reading, recognition at her infamous surname. Years ago, it may have been to another reaction. With a small sigh to the years past, she walked behind the young woman as she led her down the hall and through a small antechamber outside of the Minister's office.

She was not used to waiting. She could feel the precious minutes slip by and soon her anxiety manifested in sharp hand wringing. There was simply no time for this – she didn't know why she hadn't done this sooner. Her son was a stubborn as his father –

The outside door to the main hallway opened to reveal Blaise Zabini. He clearly looked rushed as he walked up to her, his professional robes slightly ruffled from his trek across the ministry. The young man, ever respectful, rushed to Narcissa's side and swept her hand up in a kiss.

"My apologies, Mrs. Malfoy. I've been in meetings all day and could just now step away. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you at the entrance as planned." The young Zabini offered.

"It is not a problem. I'm sure the Department of Magical Law is keeping you quite busy." She softly answered.

"Quite." Silence stretched for a minute more. "How is he?" He offered silently, his face grave. "Really?"

The stoic face she so often wore writhered; the hardness melted away to despair. Blaise could make out the weariness etched into her eyes as her smile dropped. She stopped writhing her hands and dropped them loosely to her sides. "It is getting worse. I fear we may be too late-" She started.

"Don't." He rushed out quickly before the other woman could continue. "That Minister Shacklebolt has even agreed to meet with us means not all hope is lost yet. Do not give up hope, Mrs. Malfoy."

She nodded in agreement as the door to the inner office opened. She quickly dapped her hand at the corner of her eye, wiping away any trace of weakness she currently felt and braced herself yet again. She bade herself to remember who she was doing this for. The booming Minister made his way towards the pair and stopped a foot away to offer his courtesies.

"Mr. Zabini, Mrs. Malfoy, it is good to see you again. What may I help you with?" He inquired as a warm hand led them back towards his office. The trio made their way into his office chambers, and settled into the chairs already set up with tea and biscuits. "May I offer you some tea?"

Blaise shook his head, and cleared his throat, prepared to take the lead.

"My son is dying."

Heavy silence filled the room, save for distant voices outside in the Ministry halls. Blaise glanced down towards the floor and a soft exhale of air was all the indication that the Minister had heard her.

"I do not understand," Minister Shacklebolt began. "Has something happened?"

Blaise swallowed and took up the tale. "Yes, two years ago something did. But we have not come for that. We have come to ask for help. We have tried all we can do, every spell, every potion you can think of, but it is not enough." He looked up to level his gaze upon his Minister. "I've asked to you to this meeting because there is no one else we can go to and would have not come if we could have handled this ourselves, but Mrs. Malfoy is correct. Draco is dying."

The Minister looked between the two solemn faces, sizing up their matching features: hard resolves, deep frowns and weary eyes. Eyes that had seen too much. He sighed wearily, "If what you say is true, what do you want me to do?"

"There has to be someone. Someone with expertise in potions, spells.." Blaise started.

"There is no one that I know of. My best guess would have been Professor Snape, but as you know, he died two years ago in the Great War." He offered kind, but sympathetic eyes to the pair.

"_Please."_ It all her years, Narcissa Malfoy had never begged. She had never wanted for anything and found life (even at the worst of times) easy for her. But the very prospect of losing her son pushed the lump that formed at the back of her throat and allowed to her to do the impossible. She hadn't begged at her own trial. Malfoys did not beg. She did not beg for her husband's freedom and accepted his lifetime sentence to Azkaban with as much dignity as she could muster. But she could feel the small thread of hope Blaise had given her a few moments ago slipping and she could not, would not lose her son. She would die in his stead if she could. "I do not have anything left. If it is money, I would give you all of my Black inheritance. But, _please,_ you cannot ask me to sit back and watch him _die_." Her voice hitched as she vocalized her worst fear. She lowered her head as her vision blurred and raw pain consumed her. She felt a strong hand grip her hand and she lifted her gaze to find Blaise gripping her hand in his. He gave it a resolute squeeze.

Minister Shacklebolt sat back in deep thought. "No, I could not ask you to do that. For either of you to do that." He knew how close Blaise and Draco were. Both young men had promising careers ahead of them. With the nastiness of the war two years behind them, it seemed that the next generation sat poised for greatness. As their Minister, he wanted to ensure that each one of them had peace, and a chance at that greatness. "Let me ask around. I will see what we can do." Narcissa's blue eyes brightened through her tears. "How much longer do you think…." His question trailed off in respect.

Narcissa found she could not voice her response. Putting an actual date out into the open made it that much more real.

"Three months, four at the most." Blaise responded for her. "Professor Snape….before he died, found a way to contain it for awhile, but he could not cure it." He glanced towards Narcissa as he continued. "We've been starving off the side effects as they come, but it is not enough. We don't think his body will be able to take much more before….you know." He finished quietly.

Minister Shacklebolt nodded. "I see. Then I will speak with my cabinet post haste. I will owl you tomorrow with a response." He stood indicating that their short meeting was at a close. "If you need anything else.."

Narcissa stood as well, extending a well-manicured hand. "There is nothing more I could ask for. Thank you." A soft smile accompanied their handshake and he nodded in return. He inclined his head towards Blaise as well.

"Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice." Blaise escorted Narcissa back out through the antechamber and towards the main hallway. "I think that went well." He postulated.

She nodded, the moment somewhat lighter in their grave situation. "Yes, better than I had hoped. If only it will lead to a cure, then we could put this whole mess behind us." She took her cloak from the assistant's desk back in the hallway, ever stoic and mindful of the handful of eyes that shot her way as soon as she exited the Minister's office.

"Will you tell him?"

She slowed in her walk back towards the lift, momentarily caught off guard, before she regained her fast footing. "It is long past time for us to have brought someone in from the outside. My son's stubbornness has allowed this to go on longer than necessary. He will have no choice but to accept." She glanced towards Blaise, his eyebrow raised as he waited for an actual answer to his question, not a deflection. "I will tell him."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "I have to run – another meeting. But we will meet back here once we hear from Shacklebolt?" He paused when she did not respond. "Narcissa – we will hear from him." He assured her.

"Yes, yes of course."

* * *

_Two Days Later_

"I don't get it – why are we here again?"

"Because the Minister asked us to, Ronald."

Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood sat on the loveseat near the massive fireplace as Ron Weasley paced back in forth. A long's day work with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had clearly agitated him. "No, I mean _why_?" He asked his companions. "Did he ever say why he wanted to meet with us at 11 in the evening. I'm missing the game, you know?" He huffed in agitation before he started his pacing again.

"Maybe he wants to place an order?" Luna offered politely. Hermione smiled at her friend and business partner. "The new shipment of _How to Guard your Dwelling against Nargles and Werelice_ just arrived this morning?"

"What the bloody hell are _werelice_? Is that even a real thing?" His face scrunched up quick and he stopped his pacing to glance sideways at Luna. "I swear 'Mione, I can't believe you've decided to go into business with Luna of all people."

"Ronald!" Hermione admonished, sending an apologizing look to the unaware blond. "I'll have you know that our shop is the fastest growing shop in Diagon Alley." She crossed her arms in defense of her place of business. She wouldn't admit it was her first choice of careers, but it ended up a wise decision. Her and Luna's shop sold antique books, new books, potion ingredients from Luna's farm, and other _accessories_ that were strangely popular among witches and wizards. With another glance to her unassuming friend, she had to admit that Luna had an eye for what the customers wanted. This past month alone was their biggest profit to date since they opened a year ago. Hermione had her independence and was surrounded by works and classics she could easily get lost in. She got paid to do what she loved.

"It's okay Hermione. I think Ron just disappointed we stop discounting his favorite potion." At this, Ron reddened. Oh yes, the _increased virility_ potion was a favorite item whenever Ron visited the small shop. "Oh, I'm sure you've found a way to have your fun anyways. It's not like those girls can tell the difference, I heard. Or was it the other way around…" She trailed off as Hermione held back a grin.

Just then, the door from the antechamber opened and a very tired Minister of Magic made his way in. All three of them rose when he entered the room and warily took their seats opposite him when he collapsed into his. "I am sorry to have called you in at such a late hour. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on short notice."

"I assure you it was not a problem." The young blonde happily spoke up.

"But we have to admit, we are confused as to why we're here. Your missive was…vague in small terms." Hermione finished for Luna, while Ron nodded.

Minister Shacklebolt regarded the three wearily with an incline of my head. "It was not of coincidence that my summons did not include much information." With a wave of his wand, he silenced the room. "I know I can trust you three to secrecy.." he trailed off while the three of them nodded, "and I would have invited Harry, but he and his new wife are on honeymoon as I understand it."

"Lucky git." Ron muttered. Hermione quickly shot him a glare for interrupting the Minister, which he promptly ignored.

"Ronald, you are our top Auror available in Harry's stead. I would have asked your Department director, but I trust you more, which is more than what I can say for your director. Ms. Granger and Ms. Lovegood, I know your shop is full of ancient texts and spells, perhaps that can lend a hand. Not to mention your intelligence proceeds you. I could think of no one better for this task."

"I'm sorry, but what task?" Hermione voiced the question in the room.

The Minister gauged their reactions slowly. "In due time. Our guests should be arriving momentarily."

"Guests?" Ron looked behind him towards the door. "You mean there's more coming?"

The Minister nodded. He sat up quickly, a moment after he put his drink down. "They're here." Ah, his wards must've alerted him to their presence, then. "I trust you all to be on your best behavior."

"Of course," Hermione started.

He looked pointedly at Ron. "Your best." He reminded in his sharpest tone as he advanced towards the door. The three watched from their seats as the Minister chatted briefly in hushed tones with whoever was at his door.

Clearly, he had not been expecting everyone behind it, but had opened it nonetheless to escort the group in. Hermione tried to remain composed, but her eyes betrayed her surprise at Narcissa Malfoy's entrance into the office. The Malfoy matriarch was still as lovely as ever but something about her seemed off. After a quick appraisal, she noted that the elder woman seemed smaller, thinner than when she last saw her – at the Malfoy's trial two years ago. Narcissa seemed to have aged in those few short years. Her eyes despite their aloofness held a sadness she could not place. She figured it to be because her husband was currently serving a life sentence. Well, she couldn't drudge up an ounce of sympathy for her if that was the case. That man deserved what he got. Behind Narcissa, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson entered the room. She had seen the two often out and about and believed the two to be an item, but really, why would she care about the goings on of former Slytherins? She feigned indifference when the two of them noticed her presence. They seemed just as surprised to see her there as she did. She noticed Ron in the chair next to her shifting uncomfortably as the number of Slytherins to the number of Gryffindors rose.

The next figure to enter the door had Luna bouncing out of her seat. Dumbstruck, Hermione watched jaw agape, as Luna threw her arms around Blaise Zabini. "Blaise, what are you doing here?" Luna asked breathlessly.

The tall Italian carefully placed a soft kiss to Luna's temple and hugged her back. "Not now, love. We'll talk later."

"We'll talk _now_." Ron insisted. He had stood from his chair, clearly bewildered as she at the current situation. He looked from Hermione towards Shacklebolt towards the group who was increasingly taking up space in the now too-small office.

"What's the matter, Weasley? Jealous that Blaise has a girlfriend and no one will touch _you_?" A voice Hermione would never forget sneered from the doorway.

He still entered the room as if he owned it and he still wore an all black outfit as if no other color would suit him. Hermione couldn't really say she was surprised to see him there after seeing his own mother and former classmates just enter through the door, but it still hit her like a ton of bricks to see Draco Malfoy in person. She hadn't seen him since the last Malfoy trial; the one that sentenced his father to Azkaban. After the verdict, he had gathered his mother in his arms and led them down the walk of shame through a throng of reporters and away. None of her friends had heard from the Malfoys for two years. She hadn't heard anything about him since. And now they were both here. He was just standing opposite her and Ron, sneering down at her. Suddenly, her back straightened and she had to mentally remind herself that she was no longer at Hogwarts. She would not be intimidated by this boy.

"What the hell is going on?!" Ron's voice crept increasingly higher with each word.

"I could say the same thing." Pansy retorted with a snort.

"If I knew we were attending a reunion, I would have brought refreshments." Theo added.

"Shut up, Nott!" The famous Weasely red was starting to make an appearance.

As the two quickly engaged each other in a battle of quips and insults, Hermoine's gaze remained uncharacteristically on Malfoy. He stood silent, breathing heavily through his mouth. She noticed he was just as skinny as his mother and unabashedly a stray thought crossed her mind. Had the Malfoys lost everything in the war? Were they no longer abundantly wealthy? Malfoy looked as if he hadn't ate in weeks and she could just start to make out the gray tint to his already pale skin. His eyes looked slightly sunken in, but his gaze retained the same amount of heat as always as he leveled it on her. "See something you like, Granger?" He questioned, anger laced beneath his words. She stood to reply hotly, when Narcissa interrupted.

"Draco, please!" His mother implored him and the same time Minister Shacklebolt announced he had enough.

"That's enough for now! Mr. Nott, Mr. Weasley, if you would please care to join the rest of your _mature_ peers, I will explain to everyone why we are here." At this, all the occupants in the room stilled. Luna remained in Blaise's arms while everyone else held their ground. Only Mrs. Malfoy, took an available seat. "Two days ago, Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini approach me with a concern." At this, Draco looked to interrupt, but was sharply cut off from one fierce look from the Minister. "They asked me of your behalf for assistance and I could not refuse. I told them I would find the best I could and get back with them," at this he looked to Ron and Hermione. "You are the best I could find."

"Are you serious?" The ferocious blond seethed. He walked towards Blaise and his mother across the room. "You betrayed my confidence for _this_? To _them_?!" Hermione couldn't help but notice the pronounced limp that accompanied each step towards his mother.

But Narcissa would not be moved. She simply lifted her head towards her son's betrayed face. "What would you have me do, Draco? Ask the Minister after your funeral?" Hermione's gaze sharpened on the word 'funeral'. A gasp from Luna told her she hadn't heard wrong in the least.

"I would have you not ask at all!" As his temper rose, Draco's breathing rattled. A deep cough settled against his chest and when Blaise reached a steadying hand towards his friend, he quickly rebuked him. "Do not touch me!" Draco rasped, quickly turning away from them. A handkerchief appeared out of his pocket and he wiped it swiftly across his mouth. Hermione did not miss the blood that stained the cloth as the blond hurriedly stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Draco, we are only trying to help." Pansy softly offered. It was truly the only time Hermione had ever heard the only woman speak with compassion.

"If you wanted to help, it would be well enough to leave this alone." He spoke to the room.

"_What_," Hermione began agitated and confused, two emotions she did not deal well with, "is going on?!" She waved a hand towards the group across her. "You clearly know more than us, so if you would please enlighten us."

"Is it not clear, Hermione?" Luna softly posed from her place near Blaise. Her hand wound around his in a near-death grip. Blaise's gaze remained unfocused on the ground.

Shacklebolt chose this moment to proceed. "Mr. Malfoy is gravely ill. His mother and Blaise came to my office for help."

"Help from whom?" Ron asked, denial struck across his face.

"From you." He simply stated.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

"What in the bloody hell could we possibly help him with?!"

"Mr. Weasley, I will not ask you again. Contain your hostility for a moment. I asked you three here because you are the best that I trust to assist. Do not make me question my own judgment." Shacklebolt warned. Ron fumed and released a loud exhale through clenched teeth, careful not to cross the line with his boss again.

Hermione swallowed and began, "If you could just please tell us what is going on." She hated to repeat herself, but this was getting them nowhere. Her curiosity peaked at the words 'funeral' and now anxiety had taken hold at the words 'gravely ill'. "What has happened to Malfoy?" she asked softly. The blonde sneered at his surname coming from her mouth and she did her best to ignore him as she faced Mrs. Malfoy, eyebrows raised for a reply. "If you want us to help, we need to know what is going on."

"I never agreed to help anyone, let alone _him."_ Ron supplied.

Hermione silently agreed. She had yet to offer her assistance, but her curiosity demanded to know at least _why_ she was dragged here at such a late hour. A small part of her was also concerned to what happened to the young man to make his mother search for help in the least likely of places. A very small part indeed.

It was Blaise who responded for her. "Two years ago, before Voldemort died. He cursed Draco…" The young man trailed off as he worked his jaw. All in the room knew why and there was no need on either side to bring up the night Dumbledore was died. Hermione's stomach twisted at the thought of Voldemort exacting such a punishment, but nodded for Blaise to continue. "Snape was able to counter the effects with a potion. The spell…no one's seen it before. It causes the body to slowly wither and perish. His body would have shut down by now, if it hadn't been for Snape. It slowed the effects somehow. We've been able to concoct potions for the pain, but –"

"That's enough, Blaise." Warning dripped from Draco's words.

He continued after a moment. "But whatever protection that Severus' original counter potion supplied is wearing off." Narcissa sighed heavily at this. "We don't think there is much time left."

"Why not recreate what Snape produced?" Hermione offered.

"You don't think we even be here if we had!" Pansy hotly retorted. "None of us knew it; there wasn't any time back then to ask him."

"How was I supposed to know? It was just a question!" Hermione bit back, her patience for the group rapidly wearing thin. Theo visibly wrapped an arm around Pansy's waist in effort to calm the woman. The witch obviously still cared for Draco, albeit as a friend, unshed tears held within her eyes.

Pansy pressed her lips into a thin line. "Only we five know of his…condition. We didn't want it getting out to the press."

"Each of us has searched and tried for a cure, but all of our research led to nowhere or just has been just enough to counter the effects." Theo added, stoic beside Pansy. He stuck his tongue in his cheek, as if to hold his tongue from saying more.

"We have done all we can do," Narcissa softly added, drawing Hermione's attention back to the frail woman seated upon the chair. The flames danced across her face, illuminating her distraught eyes, reflecting the pain that was held deep within. "There is no one left who can help us."

She tried, she really did. Hermione willed herself to look away from the woman, distrustful of mind magic (or any Malfoy at all), but felt herself compelled without the use of magic at all. Sitting a few feet away from her, a woman's soul, a mother's soul was laid bare before the flames and she spoke truth. Hard and plain truth. She felt her gut give before the words even left her mouth. "Okay." At the same time, Luna nodded next to Blaise.

"Excuse me?" Ron countered. "Hermione, you can't be-" Hermione cut him off.

She bore down on him, despite his height advantage over her, "I said, _okay_." She willfully challenged him to object with one slowly raised eyebrow. He said nothing in reply, but his eyes promised conversation, more along the lines of _loud_ conversation later, as he ran his hands through his hair in agitation. She turned back to the group who stood quietly observing the pair. They were probably hoping for a scene. Well, at least she had Luna on her side. "Right, so first we need to what research you've already done and theories-"

"No. First, I need assurances that this does not go past this room." Draco insisted. His hands held stiffly at his side, clenching and unclenching with some unexplained anger as he appraised her.

"Of course this-" He cut her off yet again, and her face ticked in irritation.

"I want an Unbreakable Vow." He resolutely stated slightly swaying on his feet. It obviously pained him to continue standing, but far be it from Draco to sit while everyone else discussed his life. His words still carried strength though. She had to give him that. He pressed on in her silence. "Scared, Granger?"

She took a step forward to him. "I am not scared. I know that I will not tell a soul about this. I do not need a Vow to hold me to that."

"But_ I_ do not know that." He replied. "And I don't know that Weasley here won't run off to him mum and brothers spouting the 'good news'." He breathed in deeply and choked back on the cough that threatened to overtake him once more. She wondered briefly what it was taking for him to be here, asking them for help. She might let death take her if all she had to turn to was Malfoy and company. They would probably assure that her last few months alive were miserable anyway. Her eyes turned back towards group and wondered what they all gave up to keep this to themselves. How they came together for a schoolmate, a friend, for a son. To give him a chance at life that she was already living and enjoying. How they suffered to keep his secret in dashing hopes of an impossible cure. Two years of hopes and chances rested upon her and she momentarily reeled back at the finality of it all. She supposed she could find no harm in assuring them that their secret would remain just that and she voiced it to the room. Draco clipped his head at her agreement.

Shacklebolt performed the Vow between herself, Luna and Ron (who begrudgingly agreed to remain silent, but not happy) and Mrs. Malfoy. She felt the tingle of magic slide across her arm as the Vow took hold. "Since it's late already, let's plan to meet at our shop tomorrow morning." She looked around for agreement. "We can start from the beginning there." Draco was already limping towards the door before she finished and the rest silently followed out after him. Narcissa held back while the others exited the room to join Draco. Hermione watched out of the corner of her eye as Blaise kissed Luna farewell and mentally reminded her to question Luna on this new development.

The two women stood before the flames alone. Their silhouettes outlined by the fire. "You have absolutely no reason to agree to this and for that, I will forever owe you a debt I cannot repay." Narcissa inclined her head and Hermione held hers just that much higher.

"I haven't done anything yet." She whispered.

"No, but it is true what they say about you. I have faith," the woman smiled ruefully, "in spite of the origins of my married name."

Hermione nodded, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

Narcissa carried on in Hermione's silence. "I will take my leave now. I will not join you all tomorrow. Blaise, Pansy and Theo can provide you with any information you may need. Draco, as well." She paused, before continuing hesitantly. "He does want to live, Ms. Granger. Do not take his demeanor to mean he does not care." She nodded to the elder Malfoy as she left to join her son and others through the dark of the chamber door.

"Are you absolutely barmy, 'Mione?! Do you know what you just signed up for?" Ron unleashed once Mrs. Malfoy was gone.

"I am not stupid, Ron! I know what I agreed to. I don't expect you to help, but don't insult my intelligence." Hermione shot back.

"And you leave to those snakes alone?!"

"I'll be there, too." Luna put in.

"I'm quite capable of handling myself, you know." She warned him, eyes narrowing. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's late and I've had quite enough." She quickly gathered her cloak from her seat and with a sharp nod to Shacklebolt and Luna exited the room, relieved to be finally through for the night. It wasn't the first time her curiosity got her in an unexpected situation. But this was one for the record books. Still she found it hard to sleep that night; a curious puzzle sat before her. The ramifications of which meant either life or death. She slept scantily that night; her dreams plagued by haunted eyes and heavy promises.

* * *

Hermione tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for her companions to join her. She pulled her jacket closer to her person, despite the fact that she was inside and her hot chocolate was half empty. What's taking _him_ so long? She wondered, irritated. Patience was never one of Hermione's strong points and she reserved even less for _him_. She again looked to the window as she watched people walked by huddled to themselves as they sought refuge from the bitter wind. It could be brutal in January. She again looked to her watch, knowing it would do nothing but upset her even more.

"I'm sure they'll be along shortly," Luna responded behind her.

Hermione turned around to find Luna with an arm full of books, her thick sweater pushed up to her elbows, her hair in a long ponytail. She smiled unconvincingly as she sat the stack of books down on a table near the window. They had temporarily closed their shop that morning, much to the dismay of those strolling along the alley. She huffed indignantly. "They had better. We're losing valuable business because of this. The least they could do is show up on time. Did you speak to Blaise this morning?"

Hermione walked back towards her companion, abandoning the window. She didn't want them to show up thinking she was waiting impatiently for them to arrive, despite that she was. She decided to join Luna in sorting the first volumes they intended to dissect. The blonde-haired woman had been mum this morning on her fledging relationship with the Slytherin, but after some gentle prying (more badgering on Hermione's end) had managed to divulge that she and Blaise had been seeing each other for about three months now. Apparently they had run into each other at the Ministry one day, and after lunch one afternoon, sort of fell into a relationship.

"No, I couldn't reach him after last night." Luna replied as she took off for the back of their shop in hopes of bringing more books from their small restricted section, leaving Hermione to wonder at Luna's rapidly decreasing back. If it was that easy to fall in a relationship, she wondered why she had not found one compatible with her needs. Her eyebrows furrowed. After her brief stint with Ron, she had soured on finding anyone worthy of her heart. There had been dates here and there but nothing concrete. She found herself suddenly wishing for someone to kiss her reverently on the forehead as Blaise did Luna last night. She wrapped her arms around herself briefly suddenly feeling very alone.

The old bell that hung over the front door jingled. Even with the 'closed' sign firmly in place, she knew they had arrived before she turned to greet them. She played with the sleeve of her jacket as she walked up to them. It was different seeing them in the daylight as opposed to the secret of night.

Draco, frail yet alert, stood in front of Blaise. He was almost drowning in his too-large winter gear or was it because his body no longer filled out the coat, Hermione could not tell. Theo removed his hat to reveal static-clinged hair, while Pansy busied herself removing her cloak and straightening her black shoulder-length hair from the wind. She imagined they painted quite a scene; their four to her one. Silence penetrated the air as neither moved to break the stalemate.

"I have some tea or hot chocolate, if you'd prefer." Hermione offered. She bit her tongue in effort to not say anything further. She certainly wasn't going to do all the work and turned back towards the table she and Luna set up earlier. "We've set up a workstation over here." She didn't turn back around, but she could hear the rustling behind her that informed her that they had indeed followed her. One step. She took a deep breath and tried to shake off the 'weirdness' of it all. "I'm going to need a list of texts you've already read, theories you already researched and what…." She looked up to see Draco opposite her across the table. Neither had moved to take a seat yet and she continued, "what you can remember about the spell as it was cast." She finished lamely.

Theo and Pansy quietly pulled up chairs to their makeshift desktop and pulled out long lengths of parchment from seemingly nowhere and laid them on the table next to her. She looked from them to Draco to Blaise standing near the back, evidently waiting for Luna to return. Right.

She sighed loudly. "This would work a whole lot better if you all spoke to me." She ventured eyeing each one critically, before landing last on Draco. "Or are they waiting for permission from you to speak?"

"They can speak if they like. I just don't think they want to speak to you, Granger."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" She seethed. "I am not about to waste my time and energy-"

"Oh, good. You've arrived." Luna spoke at the most inopportune times. She sat down the tray she was carrying in the middle of the table. "I've made some biscuits for us. They're warm, straight from the oven." She sat in an available chair and eagerly to grab one for herself, oblivious to the tension mounting in the room. Blaise pulled up a chair behind her, leaving just Draco and Hermione still standing. The eye contact never wavered as both pulled out their chairs and sat down to work.

If someone would have told her that she would spend hours studying _quietly_ opposite a bunch of Slytherins back in school, she would have snorted and had them committed, yet here there were. Draco hadn't been able to remember much of the spell as it was cast those years ago. He remembered that he had never heard it before, convinced to be the darkest magic, and spent his last moments before it hit preparing himself to die. He had been surprised when he awoke the next day in bed, seemingly fine. It wasn't until Voldemort had visited him the next day in his bedroom, laughing that he found out he had been cursed. The spell was slowly, aggravatingly eating away at his internal organs, she found out from Blaise. It started about a month after he was first hit. He would find it painful to do simple things such as climbing onto a broom. The pain would resonate so deep in his muscular tissue,that he had his personal Healer called home to look over him. No one could find anything wrong with him outside of the initial incident. It wasn't until he spoke with his Godfather, that Snape had been able to provide a counter that stopped the spell from advancing to completion, which should have been within six months. Two years later, even after Voldermort's death, and even with their combined heads and skilled magical thinking, not one could find a way to stop its eventual spread. With Theo's help, they had found a way to numb the pain of one's internal organs shutting down, but then the night terrors had started.

This hadn't been voiced, but was detailed thoroughly in Pansy's notes, she slid over to Hermione shortly after grabbing a biscuit for her own. Pansy noted that after a year, the spell started to affect Draco's mind. He was becoming forgetful, and having trouble sleeping at night. She had glanced up to Draco's face, currently reading over a passage, after she read the Pansy's neat handwriting. _' 6/2 - I had to drug him tonight. He woke up screaming in terror. He didn't even see me. I think the spell is seeping into his mind. I will run a diagnostic over him tomorrow.'_ She wondered if the hard lines around his eyes and gaunt features had to do with that. Not that she would ask him. Not that he would answer.

"Everything here is just prescriptive." She sighed as she pushed back from the ancient tome. Luna had been excellent in providing references to review, but she felt herself getting nowhere fast. "There's no mention of anything close to this at all and everything that is has a noted counter-curse."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Draco replied without looking up from his book. "Glad to see you thick-headedness hasn't changed since Hogwarts," he clipped.

She narrowed her eyes in return, but his blond head remained lowered. "I am trying to help _you. _You could at least be a bit more grateful!" She huffed.

At this, his head rose, his tone bored. "Help?" He gestured to the books before them. "Some help. Pansy's been more help than you."

"Hey!" The raven-haired witched yelled.

"No offense, Pans." He quickly supplied, his eyes never leaving Hermione's. "Never thought I see the day where she'd be more useful in research than you." The corner of his mouth turned downward.

"I am taking a break." Hermione announced suddenly. Pushing back from the table, she walked briskly towards the back of the bookstore. She leaned against the wall, feeling trapped. This situation was deteriorating fast. She closed her eyes in hopes to anchor herself. After a moment, she jumped when she felt a presence next to her. Expecting Luna and her kind eyes, she was surprised to find Pansy standing in the doorway. Clearly, the other woman didn't know what she was doing back there either as she struggled for words.

"You know, he's always going to be an ass. You shouldn't take it too seriously." She offered. Her arms remained folded across her chest and her stance read as if she couldn't really give a damn. Did she really just try to offer Hermione advice, about Draco?

She brushed it off as if she didn't care, and pretended that it was somewhat convincing to the other woman. "Yeah, well, he's not going to get far if he keeps running away everyone trying to help him." She swallowed roughly when the other woman's face shuttered. She had went too far.

"No, he's not." Her folded arms fell limply to her sides. "Look, no matter what he says, just know…I mean it certainly doesn't come across that way, but….it says a lot about you that he even showed up. I mean, if he thought it would've have been a waste of time, we would have never came. He would have never agreed to this." She shrugged. "In a backhanded way, he's sort of…..complimenting you." She reached.

Hermione snorted and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That's a compliment! Geez, it's a wonder you can even _stand_ to be around him." She shook her head at the other woman, who smiled for the first time in Hermione's presence.

"He takes some getting used to…but this…this has changed him." And just like that the moment of lightness was gone. "It would change anybody."

"I suppose," she agreed and to complete this ass backwards (she had been hanging around Ron too much) day of her and Pansy actually sharing decent conversation, she decided to go a step further to bring the woman some happiness. "Although he's far from being a knight in shining armor!"

She couldn't help it. Pansy broke into a grin. "You got that right."

Luna joined the duo in the back room easily picking up the conversation. "I love knights in shining armor. My mother used to tell me the story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. I used to think it so romantic." She sighed dreamily.

Hermione rolled her eyes, supposing she would. She glanced over to see Pansy doing the same when a thought struck her. She could always tell the moment when she knew she latched onto something big. It would start as a tickle in the back of her head. An itch that she couldn't scratch. Something that egged her on to read one more page, one more passage because she just _knew_ the answer was right around the corner. "Arthur!" She breathed, leaving the sanctuary of the backroom for their workstation out front in a rush.

"What?!" Pansy called behind her, but she was too far ahead. She stopped breathlessly at the table, four heads staring at her in curiosity… and fear, she would admit later. She always got this look about her face when she was onto something.

"Arthur." She said aloud, more strongly this time. Luna and Pansy joined her side, looking as if she were promising a miracle. "Find anything you can on the legend of Arthur."

"You mean, Merlin." Blaise put forth slowly. "We're to look up fairytales?"

"They are _not_ fairytales. Not entirely. They are based in some truth and we all knew Merlin to be a great wizard, but no. Not Merlin. King Arthur actually." She moved then to the bookcase behind them and around the table, determined to start on the research first if they wouldn't. Why didn't they see? Why didn't she think of this earlier? She smiled to herself as she pulled the first tome off the self. _Medieval Folklore: An Encycolpedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs and Customs _byCarl Lindal. "Of course, why didn't I think of this before?" she chided herself.

"Think of what, Granger?" But she couldn't hear him. Engrossed in Lindal's words, she turned the pages rapidly.

"I've got it!" She shouted triumphantly and looked up to the group to find four pair of eyes waiting with rapt anticipation. One pair remained skeptical, but she didn't have time for that now. "Find everything you can now on Morgana Le Faye." She hurried on and read the passage aloud.

" 'Morgana is the sister of King Arthur whom she despised for killing the man she loved; in the end she took her brother back to Avalon on her magickal boat to heal him of his wounds of battle. She is the goddess of war but gently washes the blood from the warrior who died in battle. Other names associated with her are: Morgan, Morgana Le Fay, Morgaine, Morgain la fee, Fata Morgana and other names. If warriors she her before battle it is an omen of their death.'"

After seeing that they had not moved from their previous positions, she questioned them. "Well, what are you waiting for? This is it - go now!" She admonished them.

"Granger, you just read us part of a fairytale." Pansy stated slowly.

"Yeah, nothing we haven't heard before mind you, but that didn't really tell us anything." Theo agreed.

She blew her bangs out of her face in annoyance. "Yes, but you're missing the key part. My mum used to tell me this story too when I was a child," she glanced at Luna. "Morgana takes Arthur back to her homeland to heal him. Legend goes she used her own chalice to douse his wounds in the water of her homeland. She was the world's strongest witch and healer of her time! You think such an artifact didn't exist?! Doesn't still exist?" She pleaded with them.

"You mean to tell me that there is a chalice…" Blaise trailed off.

And she couldn't blame them. Not really. Because they had waited with baited breath for two whole years. Had turned every magical book and potion ingredient on its head and nothing had came to fruition. "I can't be sure, but if there is," she looked directly at Draco, "Then that's where we need to go."

He held her gaze for a moment, and a sudden flash of emotion she could not read swept across his grey orbs. "You heard her," he replied softly. "Find me everything you can. Now!" And the room broke into a flourish. All five of them scattered up and down the aisles bringing any book they could find with reference to the Arthurian legend to their workstation. Old books were swept aside hurriedly and fresh parchment was quickly produced as they dove into history.

Pansy started off, while Hermione jotted down their findings. " 'Because her name and sometimes her traits resemble those of many supernatural women in Welsh and Irish tradition, many assume that Morgan is a remnant of a pagan Celtic goddess or spirit. Morgan's Celtic genealogy may include war goddess (Irish Morrigan and Macha) as well as waterfolk (Irish Muirgen, Welsh Modron, and Breton Morganes) – though none of these figures can be positively identified as her ancestor. About 1216 Gerald of Wales wrote that in the _fabulosi Britones_ an imaginary goddess names Morganis transported Arthur to Avalon to heal him. This is one of a few documented links between the Celtic oral tradition and the figure that would emerge as Morgan le Fay.'"_. _

Blaise picked up the narrative, "A student of Merlin, she learned magick from him, known for her healing powers and uses of healing herbs as well as her visions, many called her a sorcerer. The nine islands she is known to be from rise from the sea every seven years and if one tries to land one of the islands be ye…warned." He finished slowly.

"Check this out," Theo jumped in, "Fata Morgana as she is sometimes known derives from an unusual and complex mirage that is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon. Sailors often believed these mirages were fairy castles in the air or false land created by her witchcraft to lure sailors to their death? There's some song lyrics here, but what the bloody hell does that mean?" He closed his book.

Hermione jotted feverishly. The inkwell stained her fingers as she captured all that they had found. She didn't notice Draco leaning over her shoulder until she felt his soft exhale on her ear. "What does this mean?" He repeated and she turned to face him.

"Avalon." She breathed in wonder.

His eyes widened in comprehension. "What?"

She repeated aloud so the whole group could hear. "We need to find Avalon. It is her homeland and if she used the chalice to heal Arthur, then that's where it'll be." She finished.

"You mean if it hasn't been destroyed." Blaise put in.

"Or stolen by a dark wizard long ago." Theo added.

"Or lost," Pansy noted.

"That's even if it exists." Draco remarked and she turned to face him fully. He smelled of apples and sandalwood and she momentarily lifted her gaze from his chest to his head above her. Worry and hope dashed together across his eyes and his brows lowered as he regarded her.

"Yes, Avalon. We will find it." She spoke directly to him.

"My mum called it the 'Isle of Apples'" Luna interjected. Most inopportune times, indeed.

* * *

Please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to all who have made their way here with me. I hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am enjoying writing this. For the musically inclined, the last very last section was written to "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls if you like background music. For the rest, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Three

"Right, so do we use a _Point Me_ spell to Avalon? 'Cause, you know I've heard that the quickest way to get there," Theo scoffed.

"I didn't say it would be _easy_, but it has to exist!" Hermione didn't know if she was persuading herself or the others. "For something so important to both Muggle history and Wizarding history, I know it will be there. Our challenge is to find out where." The group remained silent.

"Alright," Blaise started with a sigh. "How exactly do we go about that?"

Normally, she went about puzzles the only way she knew how. She tried to step back to see the larger picture so she could easily deduce which pieces went where. From there it was only a matter of time before she could fit the pieces together. She began slowly, "We need to find someone who's been there before.."

"Right – I'll just go ask Arthur then or better yet Morgana herself," Theo deadpanned.

She shook her head fiercely, ungrateful for the interruption. "No. They are has to be a record of someone's who been there before or at least heard of way to get there. We need to start there."

"How about Joseph of Arimathea?" Everyone turned their heads towards Luna and hushed at her quiet tone. "You know-one of the disciples of Jesus Christ?"

All of the purebloods in the room wore confusion on their faces. Hermione almost joined them. "I don't understand." How did Christianity fit in with Wizarding history?

"Well I'm sure you know of his dealings from the Bible," again eyebrows furrowed at the mention of the Muggle faith's largest work. "But afterwards," Luna came forward to the table and picked up a book underneath their parchment, "there is legend of his travels after the crucifixion to southern France before he ended up near Glastonbury, England." She turned the pages gingerly searching, the room, Hermione included surprised at her revelation. "Ah yes, here it is. Geoffrey of Monmouth's _Merline Vita, (The Life of Merlin) _details that Joseph of Arimathea was said to have found his way to Avalon after bringing Christianity to Glastonbury. He buried the Holy Grail just at the entrance to the Underworld for safe keeping and shortly thereafter, a spring, known as the Chalice Well, flowed forth and the water that emerged brought eternal life to whosoever would drink it." She looked up to find surprised eyes studying her.

"That's brilliant, love!" Blaise wrapped his arms around the petite blond.

"Absolutely!" Hermione agreed. "Right, so if Joseph of Arimathea found a way there, then he must've kept a record of it somewhere. We just need to find it and follow it."

Draco remained skeptical. "Jesus Christ? The Bible? Would you two care to explain to the rest of us?"

"No time to explain, maybe later." She walked around the table gathering their work for the day. "Let's plan to meet tomorrow morning before we take off. One of us needs to go to Glastonbury and research what Joseph did there or investigate any mentions of Avalon. The other needs to go to the south of France and see if we can find anything there. It will take a bit of digging," she spoke to the room, "but I'm sure we can cover more ground if we split up."

"We're going into the Muggle world," Luna explained. "I think it would be best if you, Hermione, went with one group and I went with the other. I have some experience and can navigate easier than the rest."

"Fine, Granger's with me and Pansy to France. Blaise, you take Luna and Theo to Glastonbury," Draco ordered, while Hermione rolled her eyes. Even after Hogwarts, some things never changed. He looked back to her as if she would have book no argument with a raised blonde eyebrow. "Fine by you?" She blinked in shock. Did he just ask her for opinion? Chalk up another moment where Hermione was rendered speechless by a Malfoy. Bully for her.

She nodded once. "Fine. I'll meet you at the Manor at eight sharp." She gave him no time to respond as she quickly moved about cleaning up their workstation. It was already three in the afternoon and she had plenty to do already. Re-opening the store for the rest of the day was out of the question and now it seemed it would be closed for another day, maybe two as well. She was going over a list of what things needed to be done; automatically placing the old works back onto the shelf when a presence slid up beside her. Her heart gave a small lurch and she froze, arm poised in the air, as she greeted Draco with a glare. "Jesus, Malfoy! You nearly scared me to death."

The blond smirked as he shrugged on his jacket. "Do you really think that such an artifact exists?" If she studied closely, she could almost hear the uncertainty behind his words, but she couldn't be sure. He still held an air of authority, even as he leaned against her bookcase.

She eyed the bookcase warily, as if he might topple it over. "Like I said, I can't be sure," he followed behind her as she put away the last of her books. "There have been numerous mentions throughout history of explorers and famous men searching for the Holy Grail or a fountain of youth. Everlasting glory or an opportunity to find eternal life; it's hard to imagine that men haven't undergone such a journey before." She trailed off when she noticed he had looked away. In spite of herself and their past, she surged onward. "But I still think that we will succeed." Ever the bleeding heart, Hermione found herself hopeful and attempted to share some of that with the young man standing across from her. The young man who held none for himself.

He took that moment to stop looking out the window and directed his gaze back to her. He looked to say something, but halted before he could proceed. Hermione shifted on her feet in her nervousness. Since when was Draco Malfoy ever unsure about anything? She supposed facing the end of your life could do that to a person.

"I won't pretend that I understand everything you're going through. I know it must be hard," she continued on in a rush before he could interrupt her as he was prone to doing. "But I do want you to know that I will give my best to help you. I just ask that you … trust me." She finished in one breath. Now she found that she couldn't meet him in the eye. Two moments passed where nothing was said and she felt her cheeks start to flame.

"You already hold my life; what else is there?" Her jaw worked to respond, but his farewell already sounded far away. "I'll see you at eight, Granger." She looked up to find him gone.

* * *

She would never admit it, but she was glad she wasn't coming back to this place alone. She had gone to Ron to ask a favor and once he had learned about plans to travel to Marseille, France, he demanded he accompany her. Which was well and good, since he was also bringing the Cloak of Invisibility (Harry had left it in his care for safekeeping while away). And so the favor she had intended to ask for anyway was granted. She couldn't be sure what they would encounter in Marseille and she wanted to be prepared. Her last school year on the lam had taught her well. They both carried a shoulder bag of magically shrunken clothes, potions, currency, and portkeys to France and back (thanks to some string pulling from Ron, she was able to secure the portkeys this morning).

Malfoy Manor looked exactly the way she had last remembered it. Aside from new paint to the exterior and minor detail alterations, not much had changed. "You alright?" Ron asked beside her. Both waited in the expansive foyer almost afraid to speak, lest their voices carried.

She nodded in place of a verbal reply, afraid the walls would betray her secrets. She mentally scolded herself. Here she was almost twenty-one years old and afraid of a house. She took a deep breath and pushed all the ugliness that threatened to surface back down below. She knew she would have to deal with all that occurred during the war sometime and denial would never amount to anything positive, but now was not the time. She smiled falsely as she spoke, "Peachy. The sooner we get going the better." Her voice didn't waver. She gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, it is so good to see you again. I trust there is positive news," Mrs. Malfoy literally floated down the steps to greet the pair. She walked as though no ugliness had ever occurred in her home and her eyes betrayed no malice to the two former Gryffindors standing in her foyer. "Please do come in."

"Thank you, but I'm afraid we can't stay long," Hermione began, wanting no part to actually move deeper into the foreboding home.

"Yes, Draco told me you were leaving for France. If you are staying overnight, please feel free to use of our family Chateau. Draco knows where it is and can Apparate you there at the end of your day. It's fully stocked and ready to receive visitors."

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. That is very kind of you." Hermione began fiddling with her jacket sleeve again as she scuffed her boots along the marbled floor.

The elder Malfoy hung her head, her hands held limply in front of her. "Pansy is with him now," she offered quietly. "Last night was … not exactly pleasant. Once the invigorate and pain relief potion set in, I'm sure they will be right down." Her eyes brightened significantly as she tried to make light of her situation. As simple as if he were getting dressed, really. The unshed tears said otherwise.

"Of course," Hermione responded, when she noticed Ron visibly unable to.

Their two traveling companions chose that moment to enter the foyer and Hermione's stomach strangely twisted as her eyes appraised the pair, but she wasn't sure what from. Both were dressed in muggle clothes; Draco in a black leather jacket, a white button down shirt and dark jeans. Pansy, one step behind him, wore black leggings and a heavy cashmere sweater; a matching scarf covered her neck. She was surprised they owned any muggle wear. She was tired of being surprised by them, she mused to herself.

"Sorry, I'm late." His voice was rougher than yesterday and Hermione struggled not to ask how he was feeling. He would probably ignore her. Or sneer at her then ignore her. He looked no more for wear than yesterday, but she could start the see the visible differences. The constant swallowing, the subtle clenches in his jaw and the almost-impossible-to-notice limp that had not been there yesterday were all clues that he was having difficulty convincing the world he was alright.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked. She had not missed that he hadn't insulted the blond … yet.

"Weasley, good of you to join us," Pansy offered.

He offered a half smile. "Couldn't let you have all the fun." Hermione had to admit, she was proud.

Draco placed a barely-there kiss to his mother's cheek, before he nodded to the group and they turned to take their leave. As they walked down the steps leading to the main driveway, Hermione turned to see Mrs. Malfoy, alone in the doorway. She stood, a solitary figure, watching them depart. She watched her until she felt the pull of the portkey shrink her world to black.

* * *

Blaise was in the middle of nowhere.

"I guess the portkey was a little off," Luna spoke up beside him. He looked down to his girlfriend who was now looking about the vast landscape. Nothing but hills of dried grass greeted them. An old wooden fence marked the boundary of whoever's property they had landed in. He imagined in the summer the ground would have been a carpet of lush grass; but in the height of winter, it was an empty, dead field.

"Well, we had better find the town. It'll be dark soon." Theo started as he marched toward wherever he assumed a road was. Blaise tightened his hand about his wand, tempted to use it, but Luna had warned them that they did not want to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves and thus they had agreed to hold the magic save for emergency situations. He begrudgingly holstered his wand within his winter jacket and pulled his cap firmly about his head. Gathering Luna's hand in his they followed behind Theo, grateful to remain a few steps behind.

"Why didn't you tell me about Draco?" she whispered after they had walked for some time in silence. He sighed. He was waiting for the moment she would inevitably bring it up. Granted, they had not been dating long, but they had gotten close. When she had ventured to ask about his former housemates, he had lied smoothly saying Draco was studying abroad for a time.

He stopped and started twice before he could get it out. "I couldn't. Believe me, there were times I thought about it, but Draco's my best mate. If he didn't want me telling anyone, then I wasn't going to."

"He didn't want his mother and you to go to the Minister, yet you did," she accused softly. Even for being so soft-spoken, her words still cut deep.

"Yes, but Narcissa came to me. I think she had reached her limit. I wasn't living with Draco every day; I visited often, but she was there every night and every day. It had begun to take its toll. First her husband was sentenced to Azkaban, then Draco's time started to run out … She came to me, begging me to do something. When she told me she wanted to ask others for help, I did the only thing I could." He shrugged. "Did I go about it the right way? I don't know. I know I should have told you, but things were happening so fast." He grinned ruefully. "Who knew Minister Shacklebolt would end up calling you in regardless, huh?"

She remained quiet, but he could see the small smile out of the corner of his eyes. He knew he wasn't forgiven yet. Maybe Theo would take a hike wherever they set up for the evening. He would make it up to her then.

"What are you two lovebirds conspiring over back there?" Theo called back on the wind.

"None of your business, Nott," Blaise shot back minus the heat.

"I have a girl too, Zabini. It can only really be one of two things," laughter echoed after his words. They eventually reached a winding dirt road that looked like it hadn't been travelled in quite some time. Blaise imagined when it snowed, the whole area remained abandoned until spring. The trio looked at each other before Theo continued on, "Seems like we're still walking from here."

"We've been walking for some time already. The sun is setting. Do you really expect us to walk on 'til daybreak?" His nose was beginning to run and his hands were stiff, despite Luna running soothing circles under his palm.

"What would you have me do?" He shot Luna a glare. "It's not like I can _conjure_ _a tent out of mid-air_." Sarcasm dripped from his mouth. He walked on muttering under his breath about 'muggles' and 'backwards' and something else Blaise couldn't quite catch.

Luna tugged on Blaise's arm. "Look there is some sort of church up ahead. They have to some space for travelers. Come on, let's go." She dragged him onwards and he desperately hoped she was right. The good news when they arrived was that it was an old church Luna had dragged them towards and not someone's house. The bad news was that it was abandoned and stark empty save some cement looking pews and a small altar that had deteriorated under neglect and harsh winters.

"Fucking great," Theo muttered. "I left the comforts of my mansion back home to sleep on a fucking rock." He dropped his satchel and plopped on the first cement pew, no doubt resting his feet from their long walk. Blaise couldn't blame him and sat down next to him, while Luna moved towards the altar for a closer look.

"Don't forget who we're doing this for, mate."

Theo turned his head sharply to regard his companion. "Of course, I didn't forget. I'm here, aren't I? I'm just not used to sleeping on rocks or walking for miles. The muggles can have this."

Blaise chuckled. "Well I don't think they have slept on rocks for a long while, but I'll give that to you," he replied as he stretched out.

"I bet you Drake is sleeping in his Chateau right now. No way a Malfoy is in France without sleeping in his ten-bedroom vacation home," Theo quipped and Blaise shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

"Guys, check this out." Luna's voice called from behind the altar. The two rose and winced when their feet began to move forward, obviously too soon from just beginning to rest. They joined her as the length of the church was only a few strides long that they easily crossed. "I don't think this church has been used in a while." Theo rolled his eyes, mouth poised for a quick retort, when a fierce look from Blaise shut his mouth. "As in centuries. These writings on the wall back here are in olde English, French, Greek and it looks like Aramaic, but I can't be sure."

"Aramaic?" Blaise questioned.

"An extinct language from the middle east," Luna explained.

"Can you read any of it?" He sounded hopeful.

She smiled and turned bright blue eyes towards him. "Some of it. I can make out…here. 'Find the meeting place of the dead ... a doorway… and this last part ... I'm not positive, but I think this is Avalon," she trailed off.

"No way," Theo breathed.

"A meeting place of the dead?"

"I think this might be Joseph of Arimathea's first church in Glastonbury," Luna announced. All three fell into silence as they took in her pronouncement. "You don't think he left-"

"-This as a clue to Avalon," Blaise finished for her.

"The cemetery!" Theo announced suddenly. "If this is indeed a church, then there must be a cemetery right? A meeting place of the dead ... the doorway!" At this, all three doubled back through the front door, their bags left haphazardly on the floor inside of the church. Luna and Blaise rounded right and Theo went around the left, running at full pace. They searched the small ground surrounding the church, looking for any extinct markers or headstones. They spread out for a few minutes, but nightfall had already fallen and waves of darkness extinguished any hope they had of scoping out the grounds.

"I can't make out anything," Blaise huffed exasperated, large plumes of vapor escaping on the exhale. He shook off the cold. "It's too cold and too dark. We'll have to wait for morning."

"If he is buried out here, the grave can be anywhere. There's no telling how badly decomposed the grave is." Theo ran an agitated hand through his hair. "If there even _is_ a grave."

Luna shook her head. "There has to be a grave. The inscription was not placed there by accident."

"Aren't inscriptions usually placed on the marker itself?" Blaise put forth. For heavy moments, nothing but the sound of exhales answered him.

"You mean..." Theo started.

"That the marker is the inscription!" Luna exclaimed excitedly and Blaise couldn't help but smile as he and Theo followed her back inside the church. "The burial site was in that back room all along!" As they made their way back inside the small room behind the altar, they entered carefully, eyes sharp and senses awake.

"So how do we know this is Joseph's resting place?" Theo asked.

Luna answered, "If it there is a doorway, it should present itself to us." All three waited, looking around the room.

"Uh, nothing's happening."

"Theo!" Blaise whispered sharply as Luna closed her eyes trying to visually recall the words she read earlier.

"Pray," she whispered softly undeterred by Theo's interruption.

"What?" Both Blaise and Theo shouted in unison.

"Quiet-be respectful!" she whispered harshly, "And yes, pray - on your knees, Joseph brought the Holy Grail to Avalon for safekeeping. I suggest we pray for safe place to hide or … something," she trailed off as she looked back to the wall with the inscription on it. "I'll read the inscription and you two pray." As inched closer to the wall, she muttered to herself. "Maybe we'll get lucky or something. " After a fortifying breath, "Here it goes."

Luna very slowly recalled the ancient language she had researched when working as an apprentice under her father's tutelage. She noticed the two men behind her drop to their knees after a moment's hesitation, but they were all a little blind at the moment. She slowly recited the incantation or the parts she could read and closed her eyes in hopes that someone would read her pure heart. She opened her eyes to … nothing. The same wall stared back at her and silence echoed throughout the small room.

"Well that was exciting." She didn't have to look to know it was Theo.

Blaise was annoyed. "Shut it! You probably didn't pray hard enough-" And then the moon rose from behind the clouds. A stark white beam entered through a hole in the roof, as if it was cut out for that single purpose. The hole was the size of a small square and allowed just enough moonlight to illuminate the wall in front of Luna. She stepped out of the way of the beam and allowed the light to bathe the entire wall.

Quite suddenly, the ground beneath their feet shook once, then twice. Blaise jerked Luna back behind him sharply and pulled out his wand. Theo echoed his move and pointed it at … the wall? Again the room shook and rumbling echoed throughout the small chamber. Crumbles of dust fell from the ceiling on top of their heads as three stunned pair of eyes watched the wall disappear into the floor. Blaise raised an eyebrow at Luna as she, too pulled her wand out.

"Emergency?" he teased.

"I'd rather not be surprised," she replied and walked towards the now-revealed tunnel. All three crossed through the beam of moonlight and into darkness.

* * *

Hundreds of mile south, Draco sat shirtless on the balcony outside of the master suite in his parent's summer home and looked up towards the moon. Years ago, he would have jumped on his broom for a quick ride through the moonlight. Years ago, he had not a care in the world. In a short few years, his world has spun desperately out of control and he now faced an abrupt end. He wanted to blame it on somebody else, anyone really. But there was no one. He had accepted his fate shortly before the Christmas holiday and sadly now the consequences of such a decision. The winter wind howled against his bared skin but he did not give it a thought.

In a few short months, he wouldn't feel a thing and so every sensation from the lowest to the coldest was accepted without question. It was as if his body was absorbing every last detail of what it felt like to be cold, to be hot, to be...alive...before it was no more.

He grimaced and gripped his stomach, sharp pains jumping from his ribs to his lower stomach. The god-forsaken pain potion he had taken that morning had worn off and while Pansy had packed an abundant supply for their trip, he didn't feel like asking for one in front of them. In front of _her_. They had spent most of the day questioning locals, like a little group of lost tourists. After an unproductive trip to the local library, he had called it a night feigning exhaustion. Granger had agreed without hesitation. He had refused to look her in the eye after that, positive she could read the pain in his face.

He felt the beginnings of a wave of pain starting to overtake him and he gripped the small vial Pansy had shoved into his hand before he retired to his room for the evening. _Don't be stupid_, she had admonished him. His hand shook as he brought it up to eye level. _Life in a bottle_, he mused. What a ruse.

With a loud groan, he fell back onto the balcony floor and curled into the fetal position, the moon high above his head. Ebbs and waves of pain gripped his insides and he struggled for breath. He closed his eyes and tried for a center as Blaise had practiced with him whenever it got to be this bad. Except it was never this bad before. It never had _hurt_ like this before. He thought of his friends, one right down the hall and the others across the sea in Glastonbury. Out there for him. The pain sharply increased and the pressured doubled behind his screwed shut eyelids.

He thought of his mother, her eyes pleading as she stretched her hand towards Granger. His eyes opened as the wave receded. He thought of her, head buried in a book. Of her, speaking civilly towards him for the first time in their lives and the dedication she poured into her research, for him. He lay sprawled on his back, a relief potion gripped tightly into one hand and gazed up at the moon. The next wave was upon him before he could move his arm and he knew it was too late. He had not the strength to fight it this time and let it ride over his body.

"_Please_," he begged the moon; anyone who could hear his plea. A lone tear marked its way down towards his hairline. _Kill me. _

* * *

_So how's my first story going? Please let me know. So much more to come..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note**: First, a lovely thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorite'd (is that a word?) this story. It truly means a lot. Second, for those with a musical inclination, I would _highly _recommend listening to Hans Zimmer's "Up is Down" from the _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_ soundtrack. This epic piece underscores this chapter perfectly. For everyone else, please enjoy!

Seriously, are you playing it yet? Like, on repeat. ;-)

* * *

Chapter Four

"And I'm telling you old woman or not, I am not going into a dark cave! Who knows what could be in there."

"What's the matter Weasley, scared it'll remind you of home."

"Watch it, Malfoy. You need us a lot more than we need you," Ron warned.

They stood before a large entrance to an unknown cavern in the dead of night. They used their second day in Marseille to again speak with the locals on the outskirts of town about Joseph of Arimathea's journeys through France before they had come upon a curious shop selling locally made trinkets. One was a worn paperback of Arthurian legend and Hermione couldn't help but ask questions about its origins. They had discovered that Joseph had supposedly used two items to help him gain access to Avalon. One was his staff, which he had used to row an oarless boat towards the island. The other was the Mirror of Truth to help him navigate to their true island of Apples instead of false mirages.

The old woman who ran the shop was a Squib and warned them of a mysterious cave that reeked of powerful magic. It could have been another dead end, but that itch that Hermione often got told her to seek out the cave, just in case.

Once Hermione had made her decision to enter the cave, the dissention had started. Surprisingly, Draco was on her side. She studied him out of the corner of her eye and wondered just when she had gained the trust she had sought from him the day before.

"Feel free to wait for our return then, Weasley." He turned sharply on his heel and marched into the waiting darkness.

"Honestly, Ron. We've faced scarier things than a _cave_." She shook her head and followed behind Draco. She didn't have to look to see that Pansy had silently joined them as well. They walked for a bit, their paths illuminated by their combined _Lumos_ when she heard Ron's hurried footfalls behind her. The group stopped when she felt the curious tingling of magic pulsing over her skin.

"Was that…" Pansy trailed off.

"It felt like a ward of some kind," Ron mused, head whipping around to survey their surroundings. Nothing but cave walls in the dark tunnel greeted them.

Then their combined wand lights went out, swallowed by the darkness. "_Lumos_!" Pansy shouted to her left. Nothing happened. Draco and Ron tried the same to similar results.

"I think whoever cast this did not want us to use magic," Hermione stated the obvious.

"Well that's a good sign then," Draco speculated. "Must mean there's something here worth protecting."

"Or something they didn't want getting out," Ron supplied to no avail. There was a small light a couple of meters ahead and the group moved towards it.

All four hesitantly stepped out of the darkness and onto a waiting ledge. Pansy's gasp of shock pulsated off the cavernous walls. They had just stepped onto a ledge that quite suddenly ended. The room they had entered itself was a circular and _deep_. Hermione leaned her head over the edge silently and winced and the lack of a visible floor. A giant chasm hundreds of feet deep greeted her below. She pulled back sharply as the rock around her feet crumbled and fell into the black abyss below.

"Right, so how we get down?"

"You want to go down _there_?"

"I swear, Weasley, do you not possess comprehension skills at all?!"

"I think that's our answer." Pansy lifted an arm to their immediate right. A few meters away sat another ledge jutting out from the cavern wall about two meters long and one meter wide. It was illuminated by a single torch. If she followed her line of sight to the next torch, she made out a few meters to the right of that ledge another one jutting out although it was a significantly lower now. Hermione could make out in the faint light that apparently each ledge lead to a slightly lower one that would have them eventually making their way down towards the bottom (or wherever this cave ended).

"You _do_ realize we can't do magic," Ron gulped.

"Guess we have to do this the muggle way then." Draco looked purposely at Hermione, but strangely she felt no heat behind it. "See you on the other side." And then he was off. There was not much room to build up momentum, so in three long strides, he jumped off their ledge to the first one to the right. He made it easily as the jump was not that wide and shouted back to them once he landed. "Well, are you coming?" he challenged.

Hermione shrugged out of her jacket, not wanting anything to impede her movements. Very aware of their lack to do any magic, she knew she could not afford to slip. With a final glance to Pansy and Ron, she pulled her arms in and with a wide lunge took off towards the next platform. She was surprised when she made it with minimal effort and looked to see Ron, followed by Pansy follow suit behind her. They too, had left their coats on the last ledge.

"Onward and downward, I guess," Hermione quipped as soon as Pansy's feet landed on their new station. Except once she landed, the ledge they were standing on groaned and promptly started to slide into the cave wall. _Oh, crap._

"….the _fuck_?!" Draco exclaimed as he struggled to regain his footing on the now rapidly shrinking ledge.

"Shit! This is not good." Pansy edged closer to the wall as if that could stop the ledge from disappearing.

"Just jump! NOW!" Hermione rushed to Draco, closest to the next platform off to the right.

"I can't get a running start," he replied.

"No one can," Ron snarled. "Just bloody jump Malfoy or I swear, I'll push you off myself!" Apparently that did it, or Draco realized they were in no position to argue and crossed the distance to the next platform. Hermione quickly followed behind him; Ron and Pansy eagerly behind her. They had one second to look and see their former ledge disappear into the cave before it promptly started again.

"Damn it all to hell!"

"We have to move now!" Hermione urged. She passed Draco and jumped to the next one without hesitation. It was a steeper drop then the past jumps and she had to pull herself to her feet when she landed. Draco landed promptly on top of her as she hadn't moved from her landing space. "Ouch!" She grabbed her head as he pulled her out of the way.

"We don't exactly have time for you to recover from your landing." His ragged breath grazed the top of her head. She noticed he took his time removing his fingers from her arm. "I suggest you get ready, because as soon as Pansy lands, it will happen again."

She nodded in agreement and as soon as Pansy landed last, the ledge once more began to creep in. They continued on in that manner for exactly four more jumps in quick succession; each jump leaving them slightly more winded than the last. She had one moment to glance skyward to see they were about halfway from the entrance where they started. Their jumps were a little less graceful as they made their way down; all four of them were reaching that point when they arrived onto a much larger platform they had previously been on.

Except this one did not begin to slide into the wall when Pansy moved to join them last. Instead, the ground gave a great shake and the whole bloody thing began to slide horizontally along the cavern wall. Hermione felt her balance thrown at the first jolt and instinctually reached out to grab the closest person she could. Her head snapped up when she felt an arm, masculine and firm ensnare hers. Amber eyes met grey ones and she exhaled through clenched teeth. He pulled her back from the ledge as they watched the ledge slide some distance. She did not feel the need to move away from Draco even though there was more than enough room to stand separately.

"Look, there's a piece of rock up ahead," Pansy pointed out. Sure enough, the moving ledge came within a few, close meters of the seemingly stationary ledge before it stopped and reversed direction from which they came.

A collective groan erupted from the group. "Are you serious?" Ron almost whined. It took maybe a minute for the ledge to return back to their starting position before it lunged forth to start the trek all over again. It was as if they were on a moving trolley that see-sawed back and forth. The goal: land on the next ledge when it came close enough…or die. _Wonderful, _Hermione thought.

"So, who's up first?" Hermione ventured, looking around at each of their faces. All of them were reaching the point of exhaustion. Draco rested with his hands on his knees. Ron shook his head and Pansy looked terrified. Hermione herself struggled to calm her breathing. "Well one of us has to go first!" The platform completed another rotation and began its trip yet again.

"We need someone strong enough to catch someone, in case someone … slips. The distance looks a little farther than the others," Pansy noted, fear marking her words.

While both men were tall and athletically built, only one had more strength than the other; though the other would not admit it. Hermione looked at Ron pointedly. "_Me_?" He pointed to himself.

"Ronald, we don't have time to draw straws!" Exasperation poured from Pansy's lips.

"Did you just use my first name?" They seriously did not have time for this.

"Ron!" Hermione gestured with her hand. "Now!"

"Geez, _okay_." He lined himself up with the next platform and when their moving ledge began to gain on the next one, he took four long strides before he launched himself through the air. Hermione held her breath for great seconds as she watched him jump the distance. Even for being over six feet, he struggled to complete the jump and had to pull himself up, but he did. Once he wearily stood, he turned to face them yet they were already moving back in the opposite direction.

Pansy nodded. "Okay, I'll go next." She looked to Draco and Hermione. "If something happens to me…"

"Don't." Draco cut her off and the two friends shared a look. "I'll see you on the other side, Pans." He clipped his head to her. She returned the gesture and turned to face Ron and the now approaching ledge. She gave a great yell when she launched herself into the air and Hermione could visibly feel Draco stiffen beside her arm. They both watched, heartbeats pounding as Pansy undershot the gap and had to extend her arms to the grip rocky ledge with her fingers

Hermione started forward with a "No!", but all they could do was watch as Ron dove to the ground to catch the slipping girl. She saw the strain in his face as he used both hands and his body weight to anchor her, but it was not enough.

"Grab onto my hands!" he shouted down to her panic-stricken face.

Her hands dug into his fiercely, her legs dangling into the darkness below. "Don't let go!" she screamed.

"I got you!" he returned, but the terror grew across her eyes as they both slid forward an inch. "Pansy! PANSY! Look **at me**! I've got you." He tried to steady his voice, panic creeping ever closer. "You have to climb up my body." He nodded his head vigorously when she began to shake hers. "_**Yes**_, you can do it. And you have to do it. _NOW_!" His voice booked no argument. "Or we'll both go over!"

Her first attempt to grab further up his arm missed and they slid forward another inch. Draco and Hermione's platform moved closer to the two again, but there was no way they could jump now. They remained frozen at the events unfolding. Both held their collective breaths and she heard Draco curse sharply under his breath.

But Pansy's second attempt did not miss and the girl pulled herself up to Ron's upper body. She struggled to pull her weight over his back, but after a few harrowing moments succeeded and promptly reached forward to pull Ron back from the ledge himself. The both rolled away from the ledge with a shuddering gasp. It had been _that_ close.

Hermione looked at Draco as their turn arose and she could read it on his face before he even spoke it. He looked down in defeat. "I can't make that." He had already expended too much energy getting down this far.

"Then we'll jump at the same time." Hermione inclined her head towards his the moment he looked up at her and a moment was shared. "Together." She extended her hand towards his, open and waiting.

Ron and Pansy watched from the other platform as Draco slowly locked his hand into hers. "Shit, they're jumping together. Pansy, you're going to have to hold me." At her confusion, he ordered sharply, "I'll never pull them up together. I'll need you to anchor me. Now hold onto my waist." She quickly lined up behind him and wrapped her arms firmly about his waist. She shut her eyes and dug her heels into the ground.

Hermione swallowed deeply, convinced Draco could feel her heartbeat hammering through her wrist. "On three," she spoke quietly, anxiety playing across both features. "Don't let go," she whispered.

"I won't."

On one, she was sure her heart would explode. By two, both had taken a few steps back to assure proper momentum. Hermione exchanged a worried glance with Ron opposite the chasm. He stood, waiting with his arms prepared to catch them. On three, both took off at a run at full height and Hermione swore right before they jumped she felt a squeeze on her hand. She knew in the air they were not going to make it. She had just hoped their combined momentum would be enough to get them close enough. She threw her body forward at the last moment towards Ron's outstretched hand and braced herself for the hit. Her arm hit the ledge first and she had less than a second for her fingers to grab onto something. Her fingsers hit the rock and slid upon the rock; she cursed its smooth edge.

Draco dropped immediately and her arm bore all his weight with a loud hiss through her clenched teeth. Her other shoulder perilously stretched beyond comfort and she grimaced in the face of it all. She looked up towards Ron to find him lying on the ground both hands around her one and she blinked back tears of frustration and pain.

"I've got you, Hermione." He struggled through a tight jaw, but she could see the dread perspire around his forehead and exhaustion drip down in his face.

"Dear Merlin! I'm slipping!" Pansy shouted from above, out of view.

"Granger, let me go."

She whirled her head down towards Draco's and her wild eyes met his serene greys. "Are you _mad_?!" She hissed again as all three of them dropped down further from the ledge, further from safety. Her shoulder was effectively going numb, yet she steadfastly refused to accept the inevitable. "I am **not** letting you go!" Her hand turned white around his, but she secured her hold onto his. She refused to look at the dark abyss below and kept her eyes trained on him. "Do _**not**_ let go, Draco!" she expressly forbade.

"Hermione!" Ron pleaded. "I can't hold you both!" Her eyes held unshed tears, yet she couldn't say it was put there by pain. "Don't, Hermione. Don't you dare," He said, his throat water-logged.

"_Granger_!" Draco thrashed below. "Don't be a _fool_!"

Suddenly all four of them lunged forward as the rock under Ron's waist gave way. Hermione let out a shrill scream followed by three distinct others and her body twisted in mid-air as she collapsed into freefall. Her hand remained steadfast intertwined with Draco's as they all plummeted to what she hoped was a quick and painless end.

* * *

_Please review! More to come.._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Blaise, Theo and Luna swung their wands into the four corners of the room that presented itself at the end of the short tunnel. The tall room was bounded on one side by a wall made of jagged rock filed ominously into sharp spears. Opposite that wall was one was made up of symbols and hieroglyphs, while the other two stood blank. As soon as they stepped into the room fully, the door leading back towards the tunnel, slid shut with a finite slam.

Theo immediately moved towards the door and pushed against the concrete. "Damn it!" He swore after fruitless pushing. "That's it. We're stuck then." He glanced towards Luna. "Any other bright ideas?"

She would have responded if it had not been for the menacing groan the room gave. Blaise cursed loudly as the wall full of spikes began to move from its resting place and began to advance upon them.

"Shit!" Theo cursed, backing up to join them against the far wall. The trio joined in firing spells at the moving wall, but all the _Reducto's_, _Impedimenta's_ and even a _Petrificus Totalus _held no effect on the moving structure.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Blaise yelled after a moment. The wall now stood at the halfway mark of the room after two minutes. In another two, maybe three, they would be speared into rock wall firmly holding up their backs.

"It's the symbols!" Luna exclaimed. "One of them has to be a key to stop it." She holstered her wand and turned to face the peculiar symbols engraved into the wall.

"Why didn't you tell us before we started firing at that blasted thing?!" Theo roared.

"Because I didn't know," she said simply, fear oddly missing in their grave situation. She dropped to a knee and experimentally pushed one of the symbols into the wall. She gave a gasp of surprise when the symbol indented and receded into the wall.

"What the hell did you _**do**_?" Blaise shouted. "The bloody thing's moving even faster." Both Theo and Luna turned to see that the wall of spears had indeed picked up speed. It was now moving past the door they had entered and quickly towards them. They had maybe a minute before it was too late.

"I didn't _know_!" she shouted back.

"Well don't do it again!"

Luna turned back towards the wall again and quickly examined each symbol. She craned her neck skyward. "I need to get higher! Now!"

Blaise quickly complied and dropped his hands in a cradle, propelling his girlfriend upwards. She found the lone symbol of Avalon, two interlocking circles encased within the larger circle made of vines. "There it is!" She reached towards the small symbol, a head's length away from her fingertips.

"It's almost on us!" Theo roared.

Luna groaned. "I can't reach it. It's too high."

Theo promptly grabbed Blaise's knees and steadying himself upon the wall, lifted the man's weight upward. He groaned through his teeth at the added weight of Luna and promptly implored her to, "Hurry the fuck up! We're about to be skewered!"

The added height placed her small fingers a hair's length away. "Almost!"

"_LUNA_!" Both Blaise and Theo roared as the first spear began to jab Theo in the thigh. She took that as a sign to jump the small distance from Blaise's arms and prayed she would not miss. She pushed in the small symbol of Avalon and the wall thankfully slowed to a stop. Theo wrenched his leg away painfully with a curse as the spear had begun to tear through his skin.

The trio found themselves in a terrible predicament as the spears had moved in so close, it prevented all movement. "My leg is fucking bleeding. I won't be able to hold you two up forever," Theo lamented.

"Well what would you have us do?" Blaise retorted hotly. A spear was resting in his stomach most uncomfortably. He struggled to move around it. Unpredictably, the floor upon which they stood on dropped suddenly from underneath them and all three gave a yell as they slid down the wall of symbols into places unknown.

They rolled ungracefully down yet another tunnel inclined at a sharp angle; lost footings caused them to trip over themselves and they did not stop until the hit the floor a few moments later. Theo landed first, and was smashed under Blaise's body followed by Luna's with a loud 'thud'.

"Arghh!" The crushed man shouted. "Get off of me!"

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

"Would you please?" Luna began as the three hobbled to their knees. "I don't care to set off another booby trap."

"A _what_?"

"Come on," Blaise tugged on Luna's hand. "We don't have time for this. Let's find a way the hell out of here, but something else tries to kill us."

The three walked into a dark room and stilled at the neatly carved out grave at the back of the room. Resting peacefully, was the last remains of Joseph of Arimathea, an archaic crucifix hung over his grave. Undying torches adorned each end.

"This is it," Blaise softly exclaimed.

"Yes, but what do we do now?" Theo offered as all three knelt before the open burial chamber. His remains sat neatly wrapped in linen and none dared to touch out of respect.

"What is that?" Blaise pointed towards an odd shaped stick resting in the middle of the grave.

"I think that's his staff," Luna answered. "Although it's strange. It almost looks like a wand," she mused.

"You don't think?" Theo began.

"…That he was a wizard?" Blaise finished his line of thought.

"Interesting."

"Indeed."

"I say we take it," Theo said after a minute. Both of his companions responded in shock. "Why not? It must be important, if he was buried with it. And what non-wizard or witch do you know is buried with a _walking stick_?" He had a point there.

"Okay, but be careful," Luna implored as Blaise reached forward to grab the staff. Hesitantly, he picked up the staff and all three stood looking at each other as if the very room was going to collapse on them in any second.

Rather than give it a chance to, Blaise ordered sharply, "Apparate out, now!"

They gave no argument and with a 'pop' happily left the grave to remain undisturbed.

* * *

The sickening feeling of Hermione's stomach rising into her throat abruptly ended when her body painfully met the water below. Every inch of exposed skin felt as if piercing knives were mercilessly being dragged across it; she would have screamed again if she hadn't been surrounded by water and oxygen was precious. It had seemed like minutes they had been in freefall, in actuality short seconds passed between their fall from the ledge to the lake below.

The murky black water engulfed her to the point where she lost her sense of direction. She had lost track of Draco's hand when they slammed into the water and prayed the others were close by. Hermione commanded her eyes to open, but it was useless as her entire world was drowned in black. She paused her kicking towards what she hoped was the surface when her eyes made contact with a woman she did not know. The woman floated a short distance away from her and looked to be her age, maybe a few years older. Her dark auburn tresses floated about her as if it held a life of its own. She wore a long black robe fashioned at the waist with a long red sash. An aura that she could not read, but compelled her to swim closer to, reached out to her and if it wasn't for the burning in her lungs, she would have swam to the unknown woman. As she propelled her legs towards precious air, she glanced downwards to see the woman raising her arm towards Hermione, but she could not be sure as bubbles from her last gasp of breath clouded her vision.

She broke the surface gasping and choking on water a second later. She reached a shaking hand up to pull her long locks from her eyes and struggled to regain her compass. "Is everyone okay?" she croaked, water still logged in her throat.

"Yeah," she could hear Ron respond rather than see him, the darkness swamping her sense of sight.

Splashing to her left drew her attention away from him. "I'm here," Pansy squeaked. "I've got Draco, but I need help." Hermione did not miss the urgency in the witch's tone.

She swam towards the pair, her shoulder sore but somewhat useful. Thankfully, the swim was only few short meters. When she arrived she threw her arm around Draco in effort to keep his limp form from drowning. The impact must have rendered him unconscious.

"I saw him going under and swam to grab him. I don't know if he's taken in any water," Pansy struggled to stay afloat as his weight started to pull her under as well.

Hermione nodded rather than physically reply and started to swim them towards a lone torch that illuminated what looked to be a beach some distance away. She saw Ron had already started in that direction as he was close by the small beach. They arrived behind him, albeit at a slower pace and when she felt her feet hit the rocky beach, she never felt so grateful to be on solid land once more. With Pansy's assistance they dragged Draco's prone body out of the water and onto dry land. Both women started to shake from the ice cold water and physical exhaustion. Ron stood behind Hermione breathing raggedly. She sat back on her haunches next to Draco's body. Her stomach clenched when she noticed his lips were stained blue.

She looked over to Pansy, sitting directly opposite from Hermione. "Do you know CPR?"

She shook her head sadly, and replied through chattering teeth. "I only know spells."

"CPR?" Ron questioned behind her, which left Hermione with her answer.

She tried to think of this as a clinical response. A man was dying from a lack of oxygen. His body needed oxygen; she was merely to assist his body until it could breathe on its own. This mantra repeated in her head, even as her heart thundered in her ears and she ever so lightly lifted his chin towards her lowered mouth. He lay immobile beneath her, eyes shut softly as if he were sleeping, wet locks of hair matted on his forehead. She has the queerest urge to brush it out of the way. Her lips parted in anticipation as she drew in a deep inhale and closed her eyes, the last image of Draco's unconscious form beneath her burned behind her retinas.

His lips were ice cold, but a jolt of heat still spread from her lips outwards towards her face at first contact. She knew she was blushing but proceeded to breathe deeply for him. On the second breath, she felt heat again surge through her blood and her heart gave a little flip at the renewed contact. For the strangest reason she could not yet comprehend, but would reflect on later, she felt compelled to remain interlocked with him. The world around her faded and all she could think about was restoring his lips to warmth. She lifted her head from a lack of oxygen and other dizzying reasons she would not yet name to see his eyelids flutter once, then twice before he quickly started to choke. She rolled him over to his side as he choked and sputtered lake water all over Pansy's knees.

He slowly brought himself up to sitting position, still drawing in precious oxygen harshly. Hermione sat frozen behind the intensity of the gaze he leveled upon her. His eyes held knowledge that he knew it was her who breathed life into him, yet he was not upset. His eyes bore a heat she had not seen before as he pinned her beneath his glare. Hermione's gaze dropped to his now pink lips, rushing air in and out. Air she had given him, through lips she had caressed with her own and she strangely felt the need to touch her own lips. She bit her bottom lip at such a thought and his gaze followed southward. She swallowed nervously and felt her skin bloom with heat through her wet, frigid clothes.

Pansy threw her arms around him then, oblivious to the silent moment passed. "Gods, Draco, you scared me. I'm so glad you're okay."

Draco's eyes reluctantly drew away from Hermione's lips as he lifted a shaking arm to the woman thrown about his neck. He gave her once last glance before Pansy helped him off the ground. Hermione chose this moment to stand as well and without a word walked towards the torch on the wall, illuminating a single entrance to places unknown.

She felt confused and uncomfortable and she hated that her body had betrayed her. She threw her arms about herself in effort to starve off the cold, yet she couldn't blame the cold lake water for her current shakes. Her lips still tingled and she could stop the urge to keep pulling them in between her teeth.

"Lucky break back there, Hermione." Ron had joined her in her march down the tunnel, the torch from the entrance now held in his hand. She quickly turned her momentary confusion into anger, something she was good at. "I can't believe how close that-"

"I know how close it was, Ronald. I was there, too," she snapped. She wiped her hand across the back of her nose in a sniff and lambasted her decision to leave her coat back at the cave's entrance. Although if she thought about it, her coat would be soaking as well.

Ron took her unspoken clue to be quiet and silently walked behind her, though he still grumbled. She would think to apologize to him later, but gratefully took the silence to puzzle out in vain her confusing feelings over what just happened. The tunnel however, was not long for such an endeavor and ended shortly in a small room, just big enough to fit the four inside.

Hermione had to duck her head through the small doorway and she noted that the others had to as well. When she entered she noted a small crest etched over a small alcove cut into the stone: two circles intertwined, surrounded by a larger circle made of vines. Before she could move closer to inspect it, Draco stepped briskly past her towards the enclave and dropped to a knee to grab the small object inside.

Wrapped in brown linen, he pulled out a handheld mirror made of old silver. He turned the handle over in his hand and she could make out that it was detailed with beautiful vinery and exquisite lines. Even though age had slightly dimmed the reflection, she knew they had found the Mirror of Truth. Draco looked up from the priceless artifact in his hand, one eyebrow raised to her across the room and she held her breath.

"I suppose I owe you a bit of thanks."

_That was one way of putting it_. She recovered sharply and raised her eyebrows in reply, latching onto anger and falling into safe routines. Yes, this was safe. This she knew. Soft, cold lips that burned fire through her mouth, she did not. "If that your way of saying 'thanks' for–"

"I think I found a way out," Ron interrupted, who had moved away from the trio when they found the mirror.

"Where is it? I'm bloody freezing," Pansy replied, arms drawn closer to her form.

"Well, we still may have a little more to go."

"What do you mean?" Pansy replied and Ron pulled her over to the small window that looked out to a vast ocean, covered in moonlight. Hermione moved behind her and spotted a ship moving slowly far off on the horizon. "What is that?" The black-haired witch questioned.

"_That_," Hermione responded. "Is the Mediterranean Ocean." Ron jumped out of the window and onto a ledge that sat directly outside of the Mirror room. Pansy followed directly and called back to them in the room.

"I can use magic again!"

"Oi, Malfoy! Get your arse out here and Apparate us back to that house of yours. I'm fancying a nice, warm bath right about now!"

The two remaining occupants in the Mirror room looked at each other for several seconds, until the pressure to speak proved too great. "Granger, look ..."

"Forget it," she replied instantly. She tried to look everywhere else but into his eyes. "It was a bad situation. I did what I could. The end," she finished and started for the window, before Draco reached out to grab her arm. She stilled at the contact, and felt his hand clench and unclench before he dropped it completely.

He swallowed before continuing, "I saw someone when I hit the water. A woman," at this she turned to face him, her attention peaked. "I couldn't get a look at her properly, but then I must've blacked out. When I came to, you were above me."

The air in the room chilled. "I saw her too." She met his gaze head on. "When we were in the water. I think she was reaching out to me," she mused softly.

"That's the thing," he started, uncertain.

"What?"

"When I came to," he paused, "I could have sworn she was you."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The house stood eerily quiet as she roamed the halls. Dawn was just beginning to break and the grey sky outside was rapidly lightening. Hermione found herself unable to fall asleep since their return a few hours ago, her thoughts alternating between a haunting woman reaching towards her and the phantom feeling of Draco's lips across her own. It was close to dawn when she decided to give up sleep for the evening and made her way down towards the kitchen to get started on an early breakfast.

She pulled her robe tighter about herself as she heard distant voices grow closer down the long corridor. She peaked her head around the corner to view a sight she thought she would never witness. Sitting in close proximity on a small couch, were Ron and Pansy, deep in conversation meant for their ears alone. Her eyes widened when she saw Ron lower his head to Pansy's in a chaste kiss, and she pulled back from the intimate scene unwilling to intrude. Just the night before the two could barely stand to talk to each and now they were sharing a kiss! She could not wrap her head around it and decided to leave them alone for now. She supposed a traumatic event as the one they all just harrowingly escaped from could bring two people closer together. It seemed as that was certainly the case.

She stuffed her hands into her robe pockets, eager now for a warm cup of tea to clear her thoughts. She was about to turn down the hall leading towards the kitchen when she heard another noise. Curiosity gripped her and she stood frozen convinced she had been just imagining sounds; the unfamiliar house and a lack of sleep doing odd things to her brain. Just as she was about to write it off and begin moving again, she heard it again. What sounded like a loud groan of pain entered her ears and she turned her head towards the door; Draco's door. Her feet stood immobile in indecision. She could not decide if she should enter: on one hand, Pansy did not have a problem entering, but she was his friend. Hermione was … an acquaintance, work partner, colleague? She didn't have a term for their current predicament and Pansy was quite indisposed at the moment. Another pain-filled groan echoed through the lonely corridor and with a quick swear, her feet moved before her head could stop it.

With one hand paused on the doorknob, she knocked twice quickly before announcing, "Malfoy. It's me. I'm coming in." She closed her eyes in hopes that he would not have her head for entering his room, and pushed the heavy door open.

The first thing she saw was the rumpled sheets upon a large bed, pillows strewn to the floor and a smashed vase, thrown from its place on the nightstand. Fear crept up her insides and she quickly rounded the bed to find Draco writhing on the floor in pain. His eyes were screwed shut and his whole body convulsed uncontrolled. She could not help but watch, paralyzed by fear and indecision. Afraid she would hurt him if she touched him, she lowered to her knees, her robe fanning out against him and her hands hovered over his shaking form. "Draco," she whispered. "Draco? Can you hear me?" Another thrash and a muffled yell answered her. "What do I do?" she asked helplessly.

She looked around in vain, searching for a bottle, a vial. Unshed tears held back as she stood to her feet and carefully stepped around him to his nightstand, mindful of the broken shards of glass near her bare feet. She hastily pulled out the drawer and began rummaging through the contents. She tossed aside unused papers and unknown objects before her hands closed around a small red vial. She quickly unstoppered it. With one hand holding his head as best she could, she poured the liquid into his mouth, praying that enough was actually getting in. He gulped it down greedily and she continued to stroke the contents down his throat, cradling his head in her lap until the spasms subdued then quieted. He dragged in ragged breaths through his nose fiercely and his eyes remained closed for indefinite minutes waiting for the potion to take effect. She counted the seconds until he would grow angry with her but it never came. Her heart almost broke with the weariness and hopelessness that accompanied his piercing greys as they finally opened and met her own.

She was looking at him upside down and the thought should have struck her as funny, but the moment was too heavy. He remained still for a moment more, before he rolled to his side and off her lap. She watched him struggle to a sitting position and the silence posed too great for her.

"I'm sorry. Pansy was…busy and I just thought.." He did not interrupt her rambling and she had to cut herself off before he did. "I'm sorry," she finished lamely.

After a moment, "Do you feel sorry for me, Granger?" he asked world weary. His shoulders slumped and for once she could see get a good look at him in the breaking daylight. He sat with his back facing her, shirtless. She could make out his ribs and other definite features, but beyond that she could see the dark bruises that lined his back and wrapped around to his front. She hissed in a breath through her teeth at the sight.

"I…I don't know what to feel," she honestly replied. She lowered her head towards her hands resting gently in her lap. "No one deserves this…..even you. No matter what you did, or did not do."

He ran a still shaking hand through his lengthening platinum hair. It now curled gently over his ears and Hermione marveled silently at the reflecting sunlight playing off his hair. "I don't know if any of this is worth it," he softly admitted. Hermione remained silent in fear of him retreating to himself and half in fear she would say the wrong thing. He looked back over his shoulder at her unusual silence. "Although as a former Death Eater, I'm sure you suppose this is right justice," he spat bitterly.

She shook her head slowly and when she saw that he couldn't see her reply, she verbalized it. "No. Voldemort was a cruel and evil monster. I never thought you were evil." After a moment she continued on, "But he is dead now and to be still suffering like this," she tried unsuccessfully to keep the anger out her voice, "is _wrong_."

He turned on the floor to face her finally and she gasped suddenly at the tear streaks that stained his angular face. "What do you know of it?!" Red anger crawled up from his neck. "What do you know about praying for death so you won't have to watch you own mother _suffer_ day in and out? Do you all of your little Gryffindor friends look at you like some fucking project to pity? As if they can't wait for the day you finally _die_ so they can have their life back?! What do you know about what is_ wrong_ and what is right, you ignorant little swot! You couldn't give a shit what happens to me," he yelled at her, a deep frown marring his features.

She waited for the anger she normally felt within her gut whenever he spouted such vile, filth at her during their school years to rise, but it never materialized. She blinked back pity and looked, _really looked_ at Draco Malfoy for the first time.

And she saw a scared young man. A man who should be in the prime of life, rebuilding as they all were since the end of the war. But all he was a broken shell of who he had been, brought to his knees by a deadly curse and constant reminder of his past failures. She saw the haunted look in his eyes and she _knew _that he worried for his mother, that he worried for his friends, and that he hated to be such a burden to them when all they wanted to do was move on as well.

She scooted closer to him on her knees and tentatively placed a hand on his knee. He recoiled as if the touch physically burned him, but she replaced it again and beseeched him with her eyes, "I care."

He swatted away her hand. "Get the fuck off of me."

Determined, she placed her hand again on his knee, and with a deep breath insisted, "I care." She raised her eyes to his, wild and disbelieving.

"What do you think you're playing at? Fame and glory for finding Morgana's chalice in Avalon? Finally riding the world of the last Malfoy? I bet Potter would be proud!" he sneered and she saw the deflection for what it was.

She shook her head. "I do care," she paused and continued on thickly, "Not for fame. Not for glory. Not for revenge. For you. For what happens to you." She squeezed her hand at his knee, praying he saw her sincerity. Her heart clenched in her chest as she realized she _wanted _him to understand. She needed for him to know that she was doing this for him, because he mattered to his family and his friends. That _he_ mattered.

A rough sob broke his throat and his chest heaved painfully. He screwed his eyes tight again and she moved closely to envelope him in a fierce hug before the tears fell. His sobs racked her body with the force of it and she clung to his back. Tears dotted her vision as she buried her chin in his collarbone and rubbed soothing circles across his back. He quieted after a few more minutes and she quickly wiped the back of her hand across her face as she pulled away, centimeters close from his nose.

She looked up towards him, and while holding eye contact and reached down to pull his hand into her own. She wrapped both her hands around his large one and brought it gently up to her mouth. She closed her eyes as she placed a gentle kiss to the back of his hand. As she pulled his hand away, his thumb reached out to stroke her cheek and she smiled a watery smile. "I have faith and you should too Draco…despite the origins of your family name," she smiled at the phrase his mother repeated to her days ago, trying to lighten the moment.

He smiled through his tears and she thought it the most beautiful thing she'd even seen. His bright greys and strong smile sent her stomach into disarray. His hand remained tight in hers as he brought his free hand up to caress the side of her hair and face. His thumb skirted over her brow. She unconsciously pushed her head into his palm, suddenly shy at the contact. She could swear his head inched closer to hers, but she would never be sure as a soft knock resounded at the chamber door.

"Draco?" Pansy called and the moment retreated. "Is everything okay?"

Draco's eyes remained frozen to hers as he called out to Pansy through the door. "Yes. Everything's fine. I'll be down in a minute."

Hermione released Draco's hand slowly and moved to stand up. He helped her to one knee and then to both feet. "I'll see you at breakfast, then," she replied shyly, sure a blush was staining her face.

He nodded in reply and she took that as her opportunity to leave. She turned and quickly made for the door only pausing when he called out to her. She half-turned to find him standing in the middle of his bedroom disaster, her heart fluttering at the scene. "Thank you." She knew what it must have taken him to admit his gratitude and she took did not take it for granted.

It was her turn to nod in reply and she softly shut the door behind her, the fully risen sun warm upon her face. She placed her hand to her cheek and smiled.

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_Please read and review! I want to know what you think. Many thanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A lone figure stood tall among the scattered trees on the mountaintop. Although the white sun stood high above the ground, no heat touched their skin. Another figure approached the stationary one, a long spear in hand. Forever old and young alike, they both stood atop a mountain overlooking the vast landscape. Small white wisps of cloud dotted the land below.

"It has been a long time, sister." The young man spoke. He shifted his spear in his hand.

She made no notice of his arrival for some time before she spoke. "Yes it has, brother."

"What brings you to this side of the realm? You have not journeyed here in quite some while." He shifted the white garment over his shoulder. A tall Spartan helmet adorned his head.

She smiled over her shoulder, long waves of honey hair intertwined with golden vines hung loosely over both shoulders. She, too, held a Spartan helmet under one arm, a long blade made of endless gold and ornate markings adorned her waist. "I am sure you feel it too, Ares." She turned back toward the land below, eyes squinting to view something mortal eyes could not see. "A great evil is about to be awakened on that island," she sighed. "And they have already faced so much."

Ares, the Greek God of War and Battle, responded eagerly. "I'm always keen to join another battle, sister. You despair too much." His roguish grin accented his boyish face, but Athena was not the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy for any lost reason.

"Only you would gain from such foolish and unnecessary lost of life. They deserve some peace after what almost transpired with the rise of the monstrous being," Athena gripped the hilt of her sword. "But it is of no matter. They inch closer towards a great evil eager to be released."

Ares shrugged and his cape fluttered in the mountain wind. Flippantly he replied, "It is not of our concern. Let them do what they will. It has been a long time since they have sought our advice on any matter," bitterness seeped into his tone and the ground began to quake in anger. "I'm sure the great wizards and witches of the world are _more than enough_ help than we would ever be."

She shook her head sadly in disagreement. "The way they stand now, there is no chance to defeat him should he rise again."

He glared at his sister fiercely. "You mean to meddle?" After a moment, "Do you deny it? I have been watching you Athena," he accused, "I know you favor the mortal Granger; your perfect _tutee_."

Athena spoke softly, "She is a model after my own heart, I cannot deny." Her voice rose and she turned to face her brother. "But I will not stand to let him rise again; prophecy or not, he will overthrow that island and all will be lost should he succeed."

"You mean your mortal Granger would be lost and we cannot have that, can we sister?" His eyes suspiciously narrowed. "I have not told father of your _protection_ in her quest for the young Malfoy's life even though he expressly forbade our intervention with all mortal affairs after that last sordid ordeal."

"I have merely given her the tools to succeed. She has done it all on her own," she smiled to herself. "Although the fact that she is succeeding far faster than I would have expected, does not disappoint me in the least."

"I do not doubt it." Ares sighed as well. "My sister, there is nothing we can do. If they wish to disturb the powerful spirits that reside in Avalon, then that is their fate. Who are we to intervene?"

"Surely, the great and powerful Ares does not believe in such a thing as fate. Not when there is a war to be had," she teasingly quipped. She knew he would not forget their last attempt to influence a side in battle. It had not ended well. But despite that fact, Ares remained steadfast.

"I hold no qualms when it comes to joining a good battle. It has been too long since my spear has tasted blood. But I do hold the line when it comes to interceding on a _mortal's _behalf."

Her eyebrows furrowed in question. "You would let Arthur return then? Should he return to seek his revenge as the prophecy states-"

"I am well aware of what the prophecy states, Athena. And, yes I have no intentions to interrupt fate. You would be wise to do the same," he warned gently.

The young woman spoke softly. "But she needs to _know_. Both of them do. Their companion is going to betray them and unleash a great evil upon that world! Both their magical and non-magical world alike is in great danger." While Athena could physically appear in the mortal world either through dreams or at her long-forgotten temple of worship, she was physically unable to walk among the mortal realm. Any attempt to influence, help or hinder would have to come through other means.

Ares placed a strong hand to his sister's shoulder. "Come, we must return home. Leave it be, Athena," he implored.

Her eyes melted into black and her face hardened into the mask she often wore on the battlefield and the skies darkened. "It has been a long time since I have joined a battle Ares, but it would do you well not to push me," she finished slowly. "My sword and mind will easily best you in any battle."

A smile crept up the side of his face menacingly. "We will have to test your theory someday, sister." The God of War shook his head and removed his hand. "As you wish." In a flash of light, he disappeared quietly into the air, leaving the solitary goddess of Courage alone with her thoughts.

While she knew her father's decree still held among the old Gods, she also knew that the great and powerful Zeus rarely followed his own tenets. She could not sit back and watch her young counterpart traipse towards what surely would be her death, along with millions of others. They must be warned!

Careful not to disturb the threads of fate, she had to ensure that her aid remained unseen to the mortal's eye (how clever the young Granger was!) but still guarantee her safe passage through her journey's completion. With a heavy sigh, she knew the responsibility her protégé had taken upon herself and she could not fault her. She had spied upon the young Malfoy herself the moment they journeyed to a place called 'France' and the two had nearly been lost to a devastating fall. If she had been bound by physical emotions and lust as many of her siblings, she would have seduced and taken the Malfoy scion back for her own. Even in his cursed state, his rugged handsomeness mixed with delicate features rivaled her brother's Apollo and she had been almost tempted to relieve her vow of celibacy.

But never the matter, there was still work to be done. She summoned her great owl and with a reverberating call, the beast landed swiftly on her outstretched arm. She quickly removed her ring and placed into onto her trusted friend's talon. "Quickly, take this to the young Granger. You must not be seen!" And with a throw of her arm, her owl left for the world below, white sunlight reflecting off his great wingspan. She had made her decision; she would ensure that the mortal Granger remained safe and _alive _through her journey's completion. And if the prophecy happened to be fulfilled, she gripped her hand tightly on her sword, her hair moving of its own accord in her anticipation; she would stand with them to answer the call to battle.

In a brilliant flash a light, she too, left her perch above the lonely British Isles.

* * *

The portkey's pull to black opened to softly falling snow upon the land and the four occupants took a moment to regain their equilibrium before they headed towards the small village inn in the middle of town. Draco had received word from Blaise and his group that they had made progress on their end, so after finishing their day in France, all four decided to activate their portkey to Glastonbury to assess their combined progress.

The creaky door was heavy to open, but once she had crossed the doorway, Hermione spotted Luna sitting calmly in a booth towards the back of the small pub. She jogged gingerly around the small tables scattered throughout, mindful of the dozing patrons and quickly gathered the girl up in a fierce hug.

"Luna! It's so good to see you," she exclaimed brightly and pulled back from her, "We have so much to tell you."

"As do we," she replied and gestured back to Blaise and Theo, currently nursing a healthy pint of the local ale.

"Let's move away from prying ears, shall we?" Draco suggested, once he and the others trailing him caught up to Hermione. Blaise indicated they had secured two rooms already above the restaurant and moved quickly to gather their items. Once all were settled into what reminded them awfully a lot of the rooms in the Leaky Cauldron, small talk was promptly avoided for the meat of the conversation.

"We've found Joseph of Arimathea's grave," Blaise started to stunned silence.

"And believe me, it was _not _easy," Theo added. "Nearly lost my bits, I'll have you know." He looked to smile at Pansy, who suspiciously looked down and away. Theo looked confused but for a moment, before he continued on, "But we did find 'im."

"There's an old church on the outskirts of town. We ran into it on the way in," Luna explained. "But what's more important is this staff we found buried with him." She reached into her bag of holding and extended a long, twisted piece of wood that came up to her hip. She held it out to the group to examine. "I think it must be important."

"This must be his oar!" Hermione excitedly jumped in. "We found a text in Marseille that detailed an oar he used to row to the Island of Avalon and the mirror he used to discern the true island." She looked towards Draco in anticipation. "And I think we found his mirror in Marseille." At this, Draco produced the handheld mirror in his palm. "Don't you see? If these items exist and were protected from being found, then we have to be one step closer to Avalon ourselves." She could barely contain herself from literally bouncing.

"Heavily protected, it would seem," Ron put in, warily. "_We _nearly died trying to get that mirror." He gave Pansy a very pointed look the two only seemed able to read. "If those two required protection, do you think that we'll just be able to walk up to Avalon and say 'we're here for the chalice, thanks mate!'?"

"I still think it's encouraging that we've come this far," Luna supplied, her hands resting behind her back.

"Yes," Blaise warned his girlfriend, "but that does nothing for what lies ahead of us. There was a bit of dark magic protecting that grave, I'm positive."

"I agree. Whoever set up the wards we ran into in France, did _not _want us coming out of there alive. We just have to be prepared as best we can for whatever comes our way," she paused to emphasize, "but we _are_ on our way." She looked around to the group for confirmation and found Draco's eyes trained on her. She swallowed nervously past a lump in her throat. They had barely said more than a few words to each other since she had left his bedroom earlier that day and she could not understand why. Once he had emerged from his bedroom after his close call earlier that morning, he had seemed cold and aloof again, as if the whole situation never occurred and it left her feeling confused and slightly hurt, two emotions she did not handle well. In response, she had promptly ignored him for the rest of the day, which was proving to be hard since they were on this journey together. With some difficulty she moved her eyes away from him as he spoke next.

"So what's next?" Draco posed to the group.

Pulling out her notes from their research session, Hermione went over her jotted handwriting quickly. "Well, I believe we need to find where and when the islands are going to appear."

"When?" Pansy asked, speaking up for the first time that night.

"Yes, if you recall the islands only 'rise from the sea every seven years'. First, we need to found out where and then _when_ if I'm reading it right." She curiously glanced between Ron and Pansy, who stood awfully close for friends.

"Well that sure as hell isn't happening tonight. I vote for rest for now. I'm completely knackered," Theo pondered and suggestively glanced over towards his girlfriend hoping to be not alone for the evening. She made no move to join him by his side and Hermione pursed her lips in grimace, while Theo raised an eyebrow in confusion. A right predicament indeed.

Seeking to diffuse a situation before it even began, Hermione put forth quickly, "Right, so girls in one room, guys in the other?" She halted the objections from Blaise and Theo, both eager for quality time with their respective mates with wild hand movements, "Tonight is not the night! We're all tired and I am not sleeping out in the hall so the two of you can sleep with your girlfriends!" Luna reddened at Hermione's words, but she was not a fool; far from it actually. "I'm going downstairs to get something to eat, and then I plan to retire to our," she gestured towards Pansy and Luna, "room later this evening. Gentleman." She inclined her head to Blaise, Ron and Theo, ignoring the blond and exited to room to find whatever edibles she could downstairs.

She only got about five steps downstairs before she could hear Ron's and Theo's raised voices. Ah, so confessions were being shared. It almost made her happy not to be involved with anyone currently – almost. She reached the foot of the stairs before she turned sharply at the _clump, clump, clump_ of Pansy's sobbing form rushing down the stairs. The black-haired witch rushed past her in distress and out the tavern door. Luna hopped down the stairs two at a time slightly behind her. She turned a weary head back up the stairs and both winced at the ruckus currently occurring one level above them. Hermione hoped it was not enough to get them tossed out, although looking around at the current indisposed clientele she figured if this did not wake them, then it should not be a problem.

Both Luna and she shared a meaningful look before speaking. "So I take it Theo's knows then?" Hermione ventured, looking at the ground.

Luna nodded her head sadly. "Blaise is holding Ron, and Draco is holding Theo from harming each other. I don't think it'll come to wands, but you never know…"

"That's the last thing we need." She glanced around at the very muggle establishment and Luna agreed.

"Let's go find Pansy, shall we?" Luna took Hermione's hand, sensing her unwillingness and pulled her out into the snowy air. Hermione's heart clenched in sympathy at the shaking radiating off the crying woman. Both slowly approached, not quite sure where to start. They were not exactly the best of friends, but she did understand the complications of a broken heart. Pansy sat collapsed on the dirty street, her arms folded tightly across her shoulders. Her sobs echoed quietly in the darkening alley.

"Pansy?" Luna started and pulled out a handkerchief and drew it close to the woman's face. "Are you alright?"

Pansy looked up from her lowered head buried within her arms to receive the small blue cloth, Ravenclaw's emblem embedded into the fine material. Red streaks grazed her face and she hesitantly cleared her throat as she dried her eyes. "You must think me horrible," she softly answered. Silence hung thick in the air.

"No," Hermione found herself answering. She made no move to sit next to the woman, but found no fault placed at her feet. "You and Ron shared a moment and he's a nice guy. It can happen."

Another tear dripped down around her round cheeks. "I feel awful. I didn't expect to develop feelings for him or for it happen so quickly." She lowered her head again. "I may have made a mistake."

Luna took that moment to kneel next to Pansy. "My mum used to tell me that there are no mistakes in life, just opportunities. Maybe this is yours to be happy." Pansy raised her head to the pixie girl next to her, suddenly wiser than them all. "You deserve to be happy, and if it's with Ron, so be it." Luna nodded her head in affirmation. "Theo will be fine."

The chilly air suddenly gusted and snowflakes gushed all around them in a giant whirlwind. Hermione pulled her jacket closer to her body and one hand reached inside her pocket for her wand. At Luna's surprised gasp, she raised her head to the roof of the tavern above them. A great, dark owl sat perched on its end, looking down at the trio of women with piercing yellow eyes. Its head cocked as it appraised the silent group.

"Does anyone know we're here?" Hermione whispered, suddenly apprehensive.

Pansy shook her head and Luna replied back, also in a whispered hush. "No."

"It's looking at you," Pansy spoke through a tear-laced cough. She turned her head towards Hermione. "I think he's here for you."

"But who would…?" She trailed off as the great owl suddenly spread it's wingspan, well over ten feet, and hovered over the alleyway before shaking it's talons and taking off up into the darkening sky. Something fell and landed in the newly fallen snow right in front of Hermione's feet. She reached down to pick it up and when she looked back up to track the beast, it was too late. It was gone. "I wonder what..." she trailed off as she fingered the small gold band in curiosity. A golden ring sat neatly in her open palm.

"A ring?" Luna questioned, joining Pansy to stare at the item. "Who would send you a ring?"

"And to what purpose?" Pansy stood puzzled.

"I don't know." Hermione mused softly. "But let's not tell the others just yet. It must be important to everything, I just don't know how yet. Until then we'll keep it to ourselves." She looked to her companions for agreement and when she received it, she continued on, looking towards the lone light shining from the second story, "Besides it seems we have a fight to break up," she sighed and pocketed the ring. It glowed warm inside her hand and she wrapped a fierce hand around it. She was too much a realist to believe in fate or coincidence and the hair on the back of neck stood up in agreement.

* * *

_Thank you all who are enjoying this ride with me. I will shoot for regular updates as much as I can. So excited for where we are going…..Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A widening chasm had overtaken the small group throughout the night after the fight between Ron and Theo. After Hermione pocketed the ring from the great owl, all three witches had returned back to their room, the boys oddly silent throughout the night. She figured if one had killed the other by now, she would have least heard about it. It still did nothing to quell her fears once the morning rose, and she took her anxiety upon the first person she saw rising from the rooms; he happened to be the very person she did and did not want to speak to.

She had to actually extend her arm to stop his forward motion; had he purposely tried to ignore her? The bubbles of excitement that had started when she first saw him down the hall burst into irritation. "Are you avoiding me on purpose?" As soon as the words rushed past her mouth, she internally winced, embarrassed at her forwardness. But it was out there now.

She thought he may choose to ignore her now just to spite her silly question, before he responded after two loud heartbeats. "I can't really avoid you, can I?" he replied rather shrewdly. "You're everywhere I happen to go."

Her eyes narrowed, insulted. "Only until this journey is through," she bit back and swallowed around a lump lodged in her throat, suddenly thinking of what would happen after this mission. After they parted ways and he went back to his Manor and pureblood friends and she and Luna went back to their shoppe. Would he even thank her? Would he just disappear back into his part of society and forget this whole ordeal ever happened? She would like to think that he would not, that they could at least be friends or civil towards one another after this. She did not think him that petty.

Her hand tightened around the ring deep in her jacket pocket and she _swore_ she heard a woman's voice instructing her to put it on. Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her slight jump at the phantom voice and she looked down the hallway for any sight of the woman she swore was right behind her. She turned back to Draco about to ask if he had heard the same thing when he responded before she could open her mouth. "Put _what _on?" he questioned sharply. She swallowed deeply before she opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off, "And do _not _think to lie to me," he warned lowly.

She shut her mouth and halted the lie that was inches from her lips. Slowly, she pulled the small ring out of her jacket pocket and held it out in the palm of her hand. "An owl found us outside last night," she explained quietly, her voice a whispered hush. "I thought someone had found out our location," she hurried at the dangerous glint in his eye, "I swear, I haven't told anyone of this. Besides the Vow would have taken effect if I did!" she finished hotly. He reached down to slightly graze the ring with his fingertips. "I don't know what it is or who it came from. The owl looked at me and dropped it right in front of me. I guessing you just heard the woman's voice as well," she finished the last sentence to herself. "Glad I've not gone completely mental."

The dark look that had been growing in accusation dropped slightly and his trademark smirk returned. "Don't know about that last part." She sent him a glare in return, which he brushed off. "But this is quite a development. And this woman's voice – do you recognize it?" She shook her head. "Have you heard it before?"

She crossed her arms and huffed, "Yes, I hear voices on the regular, didn't you know? This one's just new to the bunch!" She stared hotly in return until he got her point. It took about a minute, which made her even more indignant. "Kidding!"

"Well, one could never be sure," he remarked dryly. After a moment, "Well go ahead. Put it on."

"I'm not sure. I haven't had a chance to run diagnostics on it; it could be dark magic," she hesitantly replied eying the gold band resting lightly in her palm. At his raised eyebrow and suggested implication, she gave into the temptation to prove him wrong and slowly pushed the ring down onto her right ring finger. She held out her hand in warning and waited for something dark to enter her soul. She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes until the very moment she re-opened them, but what greeted her when she did was astounding.

Draco stood before her, face pulled into question, but that was not what captured her interest. All around him she could discern a white aura. It was as if a white light was backlit against him and an almost halo quality took form around him. Her eyes widened as she took in his whole being and looked at him as if seeing him for this first time. This was truly remarkable – now if she could only figure out what it meant. "What is it, Granger?" Draco's voice brought her to the present. "You look like Hagrid at supper."

She shook her head and promptly closed her mouth. "Nothing. The ring isn't telling me anything." She looked down at her hand. "Nothing has happened. Maybe it needs to be activated or something," she trailed off.

He looked as if he didn't believe her, but she hoped it would be enough for now. She almost stumbled back from the wave of the force that enveloped her when he moved to turned away. Curiosity, intrigue and … hurt? Feelings that were not her own washed over her and she swung her head to Draco's back moving down the stairs towards the restaurant below. Why was he feeling hurt? It was definitely not physical pain that caused that emotion to surface and the only other reason she could place was because she had not been entirely truthful about the ring's effect. She looked back down at the ring and wondered silently, 'what are you?' in her head.

A brilliant flash of bright light consumed her vision and she had to shut her eyes at its intensity. When it no longer pained her eyes to see, she opened them carefully but found herself not in the empty hallway of the tavern but inside a large, marble temple; aged stone surrounded her and she had to crane her neck to inspect the giant columns that reached towards the sky.

"I do not have much time to speak, yet it is imperative that you heed every word, Hermione Granger." A voice both old and young alike sounded from the ceiling and Hermione whipped her head around her person in response. She could make out no one in the shadows of the darkening temple. Torches along the wall roared to life in response.

"Who's there?" she called shakily and the echo reverberated throughout the great hall she stood in the middle of alone. Statutes of Grecian figures adorned the walls and she hypothesized the ring had taken her somewhere off the British Isle.

"You are quite correct." The same female voice responded and Hermione whirled to face the new direction of the voice, now coming from a woman walking slowly towards her from the front altar near the head of the temple. "Your intelligence really does precede you," she boasted happily. The woman was taller than she and was draped elegantly in soft robes, fastened in place by a golden sash. She wore an armored breastplate over her middle and a large sword adorned her hip. She walked with purpose and power towards Hermione and when she approached within meters of her, Hermione could _feel _the power radiating off of this woman through her bones. Yet, she did not feel compelled to draw her wand, even at the blatant display of such power. "You have figured correctly. I do not mean to harm you. I would have not given you my ring if I meant such a thing."

Hermione looked down to the ring fastened on her hand. "You're the voice I heard earlier; that told me to put it on." The woman nodded. "Why?"

The woman smiled an enigmatic smile. "Let me introduce myself. I have many names but you know me as Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and Courage." She spread her hands about her, "and I have brought you here to my temple in Athens in your moment of need." Hermione huffed an air of disbelief and sank to her knees to the stone floor below. "Do you find it so hard to believe? You, who have experienced so much in your short years; from a time where there was no magic to a world full of endless possibilities," Athena smiled softly at Hermione as she walked closer to extend a hand. "I have been watching you for years, child; you remind me so much of myself. I never would have thought that I would find such a heart after my own in the mortal world."

Hermione remained silent, eyes in shock as she took in the woman's, no, Greek Goddess Athena's words. She hesitantly reached up to take her extended hand and with wobbly knees staggered to her feet. Warmth radiated through her arm at the touch and she knew the woman to be speaking truth.

"Why am I so important?" she whispered, feeling the heavy weight of the Athena's words wash over her.

"We Gods have sat back and observed you mortals, whether magical or not, seek fame, power and glory often to an untimely end. I know of this journey you take and for _whom_." At this, Hermione eyes lowered to the ground. "I do not fault you, child. I know your purpose is not for fame or immortality, but to save a young man's life and the courage to do so makes me very proud." She reached forward to lift Hermione's head to meet her gaze head on. "Do not despair, child. It will be a hard journey; this is why I gifted you my ring." She released her chin to pick up Hermione's limp hand, the ring secured around her finger. "This ring allows you to read the true nature of any person who touches it. You will be able to discern instantaneously, good intentions or disingenuous; the very emotion of the one you focus on. They have to physically come in contact with the ring first before you will be able to read them, but it will prove a valuable tool. Use it wisely. It also has protective properties for the ring bearer but it will only arise in grave circumstances." Athena released Hermione's hand and sighed, "The island towards which you march is meant to stay hidden for a reason," she warned lightly.

Hermione's interested peaked at her unspoken words. "Are we walking into a trap?" she asked slowly.

Athena shook her head. "While I may provide tools or guidance, I am not permitted to tell you your future. Only you can decide your own path. I will warn you of the evils that lay on that island and to prepare yourself." She looked back over her shoulder to something Hermione could not see. "My time is running short. Hermione, I will be watching and should your foot ever stray from your path you can reach out to me through this ring. I cannot tell you how, that is something you have to figure yourself, but I am sure you will solve the riddle in due time."

Hermione nodded and the wise Goddess walked back towards the altar she arose from. "Wait! The island of Avalon; I know it only rises every seven years, but where do I start? There's no mention of a year anywhere," she called back to Athena.

Athena smiled and turned back to face her. "There was one fortuitous year where it did rise to no harm. The year 1766. I must go now." She turned back towards her altar when Hermione called out yet again.

"The aura I saw around Draco earlier? What does it mean?"

Athena did not turn back to face her this time. "What does your heart tell you? Surely you ascertained it before your question even arose," were the last words Hermione heard before Athena disappeared into the darkness, leaving Hermione alone once more in the temple. She had a few seconds to absorb everything the woman had imparted to her before she was consumed in hot, white light again.

Her world righted itself and she found herself in the empty hallway above the tavern once more. She felt like she had advanced two steps forward but one step back. Glancing once more at her ring and with a quick prayer for courage, she bounded down the steps, hoping the blond was not too far away.

She found him sitting in a booth alone, the early sun marked across his face. She sat down before he even knew she was upon him. It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the still white aura surrounding him, but she plowed on regardless. "I'm sorry, okay? I did lie earlier. This ring," she placed her hand on the table before them, "it allows me to read people somehow. It's some magical gift that I was _meant,_" she carefully left out the trip to Athens, "to find and use. I think it can help us on our journey." He regarded her excitement warily, and emotions passed over his face and silently through her: disbelief at her apology, annoyance at her speed talking…and hope. Fledging, but still true. She smiled at in response. "Trust me." She reached forward to grab his hand and her heart raced at the renewed contact. She felt heat rise within her at not only her confusing thoughts, but apparently Draco's as well. She could feel the warmth flowing from him to her, the attraction and the subtle hint of fear and she sat back at its intensity. _He had feelings for her?_

They silently appraised each other for a moment longer and she found she could not move her eyes from the sight of him. It did silly things to her heart and it flipped in agreement. She cleared her throat with some difficulty. "I also know the last time the islands rose. 1766…..which means that the last time-"

"Was in 1997," he interrupted coolly. "And it will rise again in 2004." Silence greeted them once more. "So what do we do about it? I can't exactly wait another four years," he deadpanned and just like that the light emotions she was treated to earlier dissipated and a sullen and dejected spirit overtook her. This was going to be hard to manage, as his moods were mercurial as a Lavender Brown's.

"No, you can't," she agreed and thought briefly. "We need to go to the Department of Mysteries." Before he could even question, she continued on, "We're going a need a Time Turner."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Things are picking up from here on out, so I apologize if this chapter seems a little fast-paced. It was done purposefully. Here we go, folks!_

* * *

Chapter Nine

Hermione had an easier time convincing the group that they needed a Time Turner, than convincing them that they had to travel to the year 2004. The strange urge that compelled her not to explain _how she came about_ the year 2004 as their destination rose again, but once Draco had agreed, most of the dissention fell away. Other than a few grumbles from Theo, they had broke for the moment to acquire the Time Turner from the Department of Mysteries.

Hermione currently accompanied Ron and Blaise throughout the Ministry, a letter from Minister Shacklebolt wrapped tightly in her hand. Even though most of the Time Turners had been destroyed after the battle in the Department of Mysteries in 1996, Minister Shacklebolt kept one in permanent stasis in the Time Room. The Minister did not require much explanation and trusted Hermione explicitly once she explained their request for one of the Ministry's most precious artifacts. Even better, no one asked any questions of two Ministry employees currently wandering the often-less travelled halls to the Department of Mysteries and the Time Room.

When they were briefly stopped by the guard outside the main entrance, she was instructed to wait outside while Ron took the order from Shacklebolt and walked silently ahead of them. A senior Auror, she did not recognize, but one Ron apparently felt comfortable with, accompanied him to the Time Room alone.

Hermione and Blaise waited in comfortable silence. She could not help but stare at the still-healing welt that sat under his right eye. "Rough night, last night?" she grimaced, indicating to the bruise under his eye.

"Your friend caught me with an elbow to the eye. I was trying to save his arse from getting jinxed and this is thanks I get," he huffed, still cross about having to stand between the two men at all.

"I'm sure he appreciates it," Hermione offered. "At least, I know Luna does. Do you want me to heal it for you? I'm pretty decent at healing charms." The young man nodded and she touched the delicate skin around the eye to ascertain how deep the bruise was; one could never be too sure around the eye socket. The back of Athena's ring grazed down his cheek as she pulled her hand away and she jumped at the small measure of warmth that radiated from her companion. She steadied her wand and pretended not to notice the soft yellow glow that encompassed his body and pretended that her furrowed eyebrows were actually in concentration on the simple healing spell she was about to perform. This ring had the most perplexing properties, and she had assumed that the white and yellow auras she had seen so far, meant either an innocent or benevolent spirit, but she could not be too sure. She could only compare it to someone with a malevolent nature, and she had no intentions to purposefully walk up to one just for scientific purposes.

She shook off the profound thoughts for later and concentrated on her wand work, mindful of Blaise's apprehensiveness she could feel rolling off her skin. The charm worked perfectly as she expected and he smiled in appreciation. She could feel the gratitude from the kind-hearted man across from her and she instantly felt happy for her friend Luna.

"Hermione!" Her head whipped towards a very familiar voice in an unexpected place. Harry Potter was all smiles and slightly tanned, obviously still feeling the aftereffects of a returned honeymoon. His smile fell slightly as he took note of her silent companion. Wariness vibrated off of Blaise in waves. "I had heard you were at the Ministry today," he began slowly. "Where have you been? Your shoppe has been closed for days now. I couldn't reach you," he finished.

And because she could not divulge the true reason why she was suddenly in the Ministry with Blaise Zabini, she knew with a heavy heart she would have to temporarily deceive her best friend. "Blaise and I are here with Ron for something," she explained.

His green eyes furrowed in confusion, "And that something is?"

Her mouth worked but no words came forth. She willed her overactive brain to perform, but she just could not lie to his face. Blaise spoke up beside her. "She cannot tell you, Potter."

Harry narrowed suspicious eyes at the tall Italian standing next to Hermione. "And just why are you hanging around with the likes of him?" he spoke directly to Blaise, the question addressed to Hermione.

"We're here to collect something. I'm sorry, Harry," and she started rambling, "I can't tell you why or for whom. A lot has happened while you were away and I promise, when I can, I will tell you everything." She hoped it would be enough to convince him for now. That he would not pull rank from his position within the Ministry to force her to answer. Ron chose that moment to exit back into the hallway, a small satchel nestled between his fingers. He instantly spotted his best friend, who was currently exchanging suspicious looks between Hermione and Blaise.

"Don't tell me. Ron's in on it too?" Harry accused and his emeralds sparkled. Hermione wished she could have the ring touch him to read his emotions. Was he hurt? Was he angry? Was he feeling betrayed? She gathered that it was a combination of all three even without the ring reading his aura.

Ron remained silent for a moment. "I'm just here to make sure Hermione doesn't get hurt," he said quietly. "You know me, mate. I would tell you if I-"

"Yeah, if you could. I know. I got the same from Hermione." He shook his head in disgust. "Later. I'll tell Ginny I found out where you guys were hiding." He turned and continued on in the way he came.

They watched him storm off, his steps echoing down the Ministry halls. "We have to go," Blaise quietly reminded them and Hermione stood torn between running after him and continuing on with the plan as promised. She twisted her bottom lip between her teeth until Ron placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and turned to find the same conflicted face mirroring her own.

"We'll tell him together, when we can," he spoke quietly and she nodded. Wordlessly, all three turned in the opposite direction and started off towards the exit and back towards their group waiting in Glastonbury. She looked back over her shoulder in vain, hoping to see Harry one more time, but it was too late. He was already gone. Ron squeezed her hand in reassurance and she set her mind to the current task at hand.

* * *

"And I'm telling you, we should follow the River Brue to the Bristol Channel," Luna softly implored. "I hardly think the islands of Avalon are going to rise from a small river."

"I agree." Draco had no doubt Blaise would agree with his girlfriend, but looked around the group for consensus.

Theo had yet to change his mind, and stood resolute about staying in Glastonbury. "I'll go wherever the group decides, but I still think we ought to search here. This town is important to lore for a reason. When we jump to 2004, I'm almost positive the islands will arise here," he finished from his lonely corner. The man had spent most of the day sulking while Hermione, Blaise and Ron went to the Ministry in search of a Time Turner. Theo had tried unsuccessfully to talk to Pansy several times throughout the day, but it seemed the raven-haired witch had made up her mind and she would not be persuaded otherwise.

Draco sighed at the mess that was occurring between his two long-time friends. What Pansy saw in the Weasel, he could never guess; but if he was what she wanted, he wouldn't condemn her for it. Theo had spent the rest of the day hurling insults at her, but Draco saw through that ruse completely. He was still a man in love; hurting, but still very much in love. Why men covered their true feelings with hurtful insults towards the object of their affection, he would never know.

He watched Granger from the corner of his eye as she appraised the room and the flow of the conversation. She and the Weasel had seemed partly distracted when they returned from the Ministry that afternoon and he hadn't bothered to ask either them or Blaise about it. He had a moment to wonder briefly what it was taking from her to complete this task. He knew she had already lost several days worth of business to undertake such an endeavor, but per her words, she cared about what happened to him.

He shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he remembered that grey morning where he had almost kissed her in a moment of weakness. She had shown him a kindness he did not expect, had assuaged his fears that she was just here for herself and for a moment, he wanted to thank her properly for saving his life that night in the cave. If he could be true with himself for once, he had been waiting to taste her lips the moment she informed him that his answer lay in Avalon that day back in her bookstore. The wonder, the joy that had lit up her face at her discovery; he had the slightest inclination that he if kissed her perhaps some of that joy could transfer to him. He shook his head at such inane thoughts and took a moment to focus on the present. Their group had just confirmed that they would travel to just south of Burnham-on-sea, a coastal town on the Bristol Channel; by nightfall, they would be at the mouth of the River Brue. It would provide them the perfect cover to traverse across the Channel and hopefully towards Avalon.

* * *

By time they had Apparted to Burnham-on-sea, it had taken them another hour to come upon the mouth of the River Brue. Nightfall had truly fallen by then and all waited in apprehension for the next steps, watchful for passersby. Ron handed Hermione the Time Turner and she removed the small necklace and chain from the satchel.

Glancing around at the group, she found herself squinting to meet their eyes in the darkness. "So I suggest we all travel to the year 2004, but not all of us have to row to the Island once it appears. I'm not actually sure what will happen once we get there…..but if you'll just…" She extended the chain around Ron's neck and then Draco's and the rest followed suit. The stood in a tight, uncomfortable circle and she could not breathe without it fanning it to someone's face. A few grumbles erupted from the men before she spoke again. "Stand still while we're moving. It's very easy to get disorientated." She focused her concentration on the small hourglass and with a few delicate spins set their destination for four years hence.

She looked then to see the world around them moving in fast sequence, seasons moving past them in rapid succession while the sun and moon rose over and over again in an endless loop. Not being new to time travel, she looked at each of their expressions and privately smiled at their bewildered and apprehensive features. She felt Draco shuffle close to her person, by design or accident she could not be sure and instantly warmed at the contact. This was it for him, she gathered. If they were not successful tonight…she tried not to think of the consequences if they did not find the Chalice. In a heartbeat, she knew she would throw everything she had into finding a cure, if they were not successful. Not because she had made a Vow to, but because she _wanted _to. She looked up to find the heat of his gaze bearing down into her and she softly smiled in response. The beginnings of a small smile started to grace his lips, but before it could fully manifest, the land suddenly stop spinning and zipping.

The Time Turner deposited them exactly at the same time of day they left in the year 2000 and darkness greeted them once more. Thundered rumbled in the distance and white flashes briefly lit up the sky, signs of an approaching storm. Hermione quickly removed the chain from their necks and stashed it away in her bag of holding for safe keeping; it would do them no good to gain the Chalice but lose their ability to return home to their proper year. She quickly scanned their surroundings to confirm that no one was around, as they had purposefully chosen a secluded spot to begin with.

Luna got to work immediately on conjuring two small rafts for them to cross the channel in. "One group will have to use the mirror to row to the true island," she shouted above the growing wind. "The other will have to follow behind."

"Great, it's perfect travelling weather!" Theo shouted above the howling wind. Smalls waves started to intensify against the shoreline.

"Everyone in the boats now!" Hermione shouted as she splashed through the surf to jump in the first raft. Draco, Ron and Pansy jumped in behind her, while Blaise, Theo and Luna jumped into the second raft. Luna took of Joseph of Arimathea's staff and began to push them away from the shoreline. Everyone else transfigured oars of their own, while Draco took out the Mirror of Truth. The skies opened up on a crack of thunder and rain began to fall upon their heads. "What now?!" Draco practically had to shout to Hermione next to him.

She shook her head, indicating she was as lost as them. "We wait!" she shouted over fat raindrops running down her face. The two boats sat some meters away from each other, but close enough to see one another. The chill of the air mixed with the ominous rain was about to give Hermione the chills when another clap of thunder split the sea.

Even from their distance away, giant waves rushed towards them, displaced by the land erupting from the sea. A small chain of islands, just masses of black from Hermione's vantage point, rose from the sea in a deep roar. All could feel the raw magic pulsing from the islands and the group had to steady themselves against the wall of the raft as the push of magic rammed up against them. "Draco!" rang out in the midst of the commotion and she hoped he took her call for him to use the mirror. He sat currently against the head of the raft closest to the archipelago. She did manage to see she was not the only one who was having a hard time sitting up against the lashing rain and wind that had just picked up upon the islands arrival. All had their heads bowed towards the interior of the boat, their backs bent over to drive out the stinging rain.

Draco's head whipped back towards the group and she had to ask him to repeat himself before she heard him clearly. "The second one from the left!" Rain obscured her view and she had to follow his outstretched hand.

She turned and shouted the instructions back to Luna's raft. She could only hope they had heard her as she took out her oar and pushed against the fierce waves. She was entirely convinced that this sudden storm, this far inside the channel did not rise on accident. Something was actively trying to keep them from reaching the island. She could only pray that luck was on their side. The waves started to pummel their raft, but they rowed on tirelessly.

She lost sight of Luna's group after a few minutes and no matter how many times she wiped the rainwater from her eyes, she could not bring their raft back into sight. Their raft started to take on water as the large black mass started to materialize into actual land. The high island was surrounded on most sides by high cliffs and there was only a small coast where they could dock their raft – if the raft arrived in one piece. At that very thought, another wave blindsided the small craft and it could hold no more. A splintering crack split down the middle and Pansy let out a shriek as cold sea water began rushing into the raft. Hermione's shoes, which were already soaked, sank further down into dark depths below.

They were about fifty meters from the island. She had a moment to see the tall trees that outstood the greenery of the island before another wave rocked the small raft into pieces. Her hands splayed for something to hold onto as ice water flooded her senses. She kicked and propelled herself to keep herself above water, but it was difficult with intermitting waves knocking her over every few seconds. It was brutal and she coughed sea water out of her mouth. The bobbing heads of Draco, Ron and Pansy shrunk smaller and smaller as the sea pushed them further apart and she shouted in vain for them to swim towards the coast.

She, in turn started for the coast when she felt a hard yank on her ankle below. She had a too-quick second to grab oxygen before the unseen hand pulled her beneath the surface, bubbles and lightening skies suddenly above her. She struggled briefly back to surface in a cold gasp, but the strong hand still held firm to her ankle. She shouted a gurgled cry for help to the small heads moving towards the coast, but it was lost among the rain and wind-driven storm. She had another moment before she was pulled under again, and her lungs were ill-prepared. She fought valiantly against the source and but in effort to save her oxygen, stopped her thrashing to look down at her assailant.

The same woman from the cave sat beneath her clear as day, holding onto her ankle with a tight grasp. The woman with the long auburn hair reached up with her other hand to clasp it about Hermione's arm. The bubbles flayed wildly then and she was trapped. She opened in mouth in a silent scream and her lungs burned in a futile struggle as the woman dragged her further below the surface.

* * *

Please review! To be continued….


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: This chapter is my longest to date, but I couldn't bear to split it up. So much happens that is critical to the plot, so I decided to leave it as is. This chapter is rated a __**strong M**__ for explicit & violent scenes…Now onwards to Avalon!_

* * *

Chapter Ten

The water slowly replaced the oxygen within her lungs and her eyesight started to fade to black. Hermione knew this was a battle she was not going to win. She reached her free hand once more towards the surface and instantly wrapped her hand around the arm that reached back for hers. Athena's ring reacted to the contact and a bright light grew to envelop both her, Draco and the woman beneath her. The light proved too powerful for the lady in the lake and she scampered off towards the depths below and Hermione was free to kick to surface behind Draco. Both broke the surface at the same time and he swam towards her.

"Are you alright?" He shouted over the rain. She had to nod in response, her mouth still dragging in oxygen. He did not release her hand as he started swimming them both towards the coast. She could make out ahead that everyone from both rafts had made it safely to the shoreline, although only one boat was safely docked. It took her a few minutes to shake off the nerves of almost being drowned by a mysterious lady in the water, but by the time both she and Draco were dragging themselves ashore she had recovered enough.

Ominously, the storm that appeared over the island dissipated and the full moon sat high above the island. Hermione looked down from the clearing sky to the group around her. "I hate to say this, but I think we should split up."

"Someone just tried to kill you!" Draco replied. "You think that's really the best plan right now?!"

"We can cover more ground if we do," Pansy offered.

"Who knows what else is out here! This island won't make it easy for us to find the Chalice," Draco insisted.

"Draco, we don't have the time to argue this one out," Hermione argued. "This island will not be here long and we have to use every minute efficiently."

"She's right, Draco," Blaise offered and Draco ran a frustrated hand through wet hair. He tried to nonverbally cast a drying charm, but was met with nothing and sharply swore. Others tried to cast magic and found they could not.

"Brilliant, just _brilliant_!" Ron muttered and the wind picked up around them.

"Alright, so we split into two teams again," Hermione started. "If we can't find something within an hour or so, we meet back here?" When the group nodded, she replied and holstered her wand. "Right, let's go." She started off to the east and with one last look to Blaise, Theo and Luna, she continued off into the island for parts unknown.

* * *

"Ron?!" Hermione shouted, willing her voice to remain steady. Darkness greeted her. Her small group of four had found a group of apple trees growing in an odd circle not far from the coast where they docked their raft. After they entered the small circle, Hermione noticed the same symbol of Avalon outlined into one of the trees. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she pushed in the bark to reveal a hidden passageway leading underground in midst of the apple trees. Even knowing they could not use magic, the group silently entered the passage, attention on high alert.

They had been walking for sometime in an endless tunnel of twists and turns when she had somehow lost Ron and Pansy in front of her. One moment they were there and the next they were gone. Only Draco remained at her side and she once more wished she could use her wand to light the darkened tunnel.

"I don't think they're here, Granger," Draco answered beside her. She could not see him, but she could feel his presence next to her arm. The tiny portion of her brain that was scared, yearned to reach out to hold his hand as anyone would in the dark, but she summoned courage to push her forward. "We should keep moving."

She nodded, but remembered he couldn't see her in the dark. "Right, they may be up ahead." The two walked in silence; their shoes crunching on the stone floor beneath them. They turned a corner and he stopped abruptly and she walked straight into his back. "What's going-"

"Quiet!" he hushed over his shoulder. She lifted her head around his shoulder to see that up ahead was a large tunnel, a lone torch lit at the end. She couldn't see anything ahead that would cause alarm, when suddenly a figure walked through the opposite end of the tunnel, she couldn't be sure, but the figure looked like a man but he had moved too quickly for her to see. "I don't think we're alone in here," Draco whispered.

She tugged on his shoulder. "It could be Ron and Pansy, let's go." She started forward, but then he pulled her back sharply. She looked at him in accusation. "What are you doing?" she whispered harshly.

"I don't think that's Weasley," he replied slowly, eyes trained towards the lone torch again. He spotted something behind her and pulled on her hand roughly a moment later. "Run, Granger. Now!" He pulled her once more and then took off in the direction they had come. She did not need to look behind her as the fear sounded in his voice had been enough to scare her. If it was enough for him, it was enough for her. They both ran as fast as their feet would carry them when she heard _it_; the sounds of dragging chains scrapping on the stone floor behind her. They screeched over loud sounding footsteps that pounded closer and closer behind her.

"_Draco_!" She fumbled for his hand and pulled him back to her and slid them both into a small opening in the tunnel wall. She slapped her free hand over his mouth and held him close to her within the tight space. Her head was closed up tight between the wall and his chest and she could smell the perspiration and fear rolling off of him. His breath was warm and short against her palm.

Both sought to calm their breathing when not a moment later, the creature that had been following them slowed by their hidden alcove. She kept her eyes trained to Draco's chest, paralyzed by fear, that if she turned her head, the creature would find them. It did not sound human in nature as it breathed through what sounded to be a snout and dragged its heavy chains through the tunnel. After a moment, the sounds of the clinking chains grew distant as the creature moved on. She released a breath she did not know she was holding and let her forehead rest briefly against Draco's shoulder.

He slid them both out of the alcove, once he made sure the coast was clear and in the dimming light pulled her forward. "Come on, Granger," he hushed and the two silently continued back towards the lone torch they had seen earlier.

Once they reached that torch, Draco hesitantly looked around the corner making sure no other creature was waiting in silence before he took the lead and led them down a new tunnel. They both entered a dark room that instantly lit up the moment they set foot in it. What greeted Hermione and Draco made their blood run cold.

On the far opposite wall, hung the lifeless bodies of Ron and Pansy, staked to the wall, their heads hung limply at their necks. Large spikes of ruthless metal were run through their hands, midsections and feet and their blood ran down the wall in thick waves. By the size of the pool of blood beneath them, there was no way they could have survived. A lone man stood facing the doomed pair on the wall, looking up at them; a spike in hand and he seemed to be admiring his handiwork.

"_NO_!" Hermione shouted and she took off for the pair, but an arm around her waist held her back. "No!" She whimpered again for her dead friends and tears broke from her eyes. The man turned around to face them and Draco pushed Hermione behind him so sharply, she lost her footing and stumbled. Even though, they could do no magic, Draco instinctually drew his wand and trained it on his opponent, a sharp sneer marring his face. She had no time to process the face of the man, no monster, just revealed to her. She shook her head in disbelief. "It can't be…" And more tears fell from her eyes. "You…can't be real. You're dead!" she spoke more to herself. Draco remained silent, narrowed eyes trained on the ghost returned in front of them.

He glided causally towards the center of the room, blood running down his mouth and hands and he smiled that same sinister smile that haunted her dreams. "I assure you Ms. Granger, that this is most assuredly real." The re-animated monster named Voldemort floated towards them, a robe of darkness floating out beneath him. Draco, picked Hermione off the ground and circled around the monster before he could approach the duo. Voldemort held no wand, but within this evil place of magic, who knew what capabilities he held. "Young master Draco," he addressed the blond, "So good to see you so … _alive and well_ after all this time. I would have thought my spell would have made short work of that some time ago, but no matter. I can finish what I started now." He lifted his bloody hands and without a second's warning shot twin green jets of light at the two.

They would have been hit, save for Draco pushing her off to one side, while he chose to duck and roll off to the other. "There is nowhere to run, as your friends can surely testify." With a shout, he threw a black jet at Hermione who had to jerk away at the last second, the burnt singes of her coat telling her that this was certainly not a mirage. She could not even use her wand! How was she supposed to fight back? She turned to see that re-animated Voldemort had turned his attention back to Draco temporarily.

"You know, Mr. Malfoy," he hissed at Draco, who was currently picking himself off the ground. Hermione could see the exhaustion creeping in around his features. They would both not survive long at this rate. "I'm surprised that you're even here. That you would have shown such will and strength to come this far tells me you would have been an extraordinary servant had you applied yourself."

Draco wiped his hand across the back of his mouth and Hermione could see the blood that had collected there. "And remain your lackey for eternity?" he huffed, and caught eyes with Hermione across the room briefly. He was clearly stalling for her. To do what, she did not know? "I think I'd rather die." he spat in disgust.

A smirk shone on the snake-like creature's face. "By all accounts, you should be dead. But I can remedy that." He lifted his hands to gather power in both hands and shot one, then the other jet at Draco across the room in quick succession. Hermione knew that he could probably dodge one, but not both. She had to move.

She imagined that at the end of life, fear overtook you to the point of numbness or a courage so legendary gave you the strength to do the impossible. She could not account for neither as she rushed with a ferociousness never before seen towards the back of Voldemort. The only thought she had when she jumped on his back was that she would not let this monster hurt Draco again. She would not let anyone _ever_ harm him again. Far too much and too long had he suffered and with a great yell, she launched onto his back and dragged her fingers across his face.

Green lines of what looked to be his blood erupted under her nails marks and she pulled and tore for all she had. He shook and pulled back at her with annoyance, but it was not until Athena's ring touched his skin that he physically yelled out in pain. With renewed force, he tore her off her back and flung her towards Draco like a rag doll and her back skidded painfully across the stone floor. She looked up to see Draco struggling towards her. Something shone in his eyes that she could not comprehend before her attention was turned back towards the monster charging at her.

With a great yell, he hovered over her and lifted his hands tightly wrapped around the same metal spike that pinned Ron and Pansy to the wall above them. Her eyes widened, but tears would not fall as she met her end. Her vision became blurred as a dark mass fell on top of her and she waited with bated breath for the sharp stab of pain to take her. She looked to see, to feel a dead weight above her and instantaneously her hands wrapped around Draco's still form. She struggled to pull him off her but once she did, he groaned and a warm sticky substance collected around her midsection. His blood oozed out a wound the size of sickle. She would have rolled him over to his side, but had no time as Voldemort removed the spike from his body with a sickening squelch and returned for another fatal blow. She caught his wrist with her right hand on the downswing and held firm as the fear bled from his eyes.

She lay half on top of Draco, her hands covered in his blood, and wild tears marked down her face. She sneered heavily and the ring began to glow. Voldemort remain frozen above her, immobilized by the power in Athena's ring. The spike fell effortlessly from his shaking hand. "_Die now,_" she spat and squeezed her hand harder about his wrist. Despite her smaller hand around his larger wrist, the ring grew hot with power and suddenly a black mist erupted from the ring and seeped into his Voldemort's skin. The skin around his wrist bubbled and moved and Hermione watched as the bubbles travelled up his forearm, down his neck and throughout his body.

The monster shrieked a wretched sound before he collapsed to his knees near the pair and fell backwards. The bubbling skin continued until it melted off into a sizzling pile of green and gray ooze. The air in the room shifted as Voldemort disappeared into the air, taking with it the illusions of a tortured Ron and Pansy. The room reverted back to a quiet hall, but not all of the damage of the illusion was undone. She carefully rolled Draco onto his back and he coughed, blood running down his pale lips. The entry hole where Voldemort had struck him violently leaked blood, and by the dark crimson color, Hermione knew that it was a fatal blow. He could not have more than ten minutes before he bled out.

She grabbed his collar and yanked him forward. "What the hell were you thinking!?" she asked through her tears, her voice water-logged. "You did **not** come all this way just to die now! Gods, Draco!" His head lolled to one side weakly as he tried to speak. He succeeded on the second attempt.

"Couldn't …get far...without you," Blood rolled down his chin and she shook her head at his misplaced attempt at humor. She looked down to her ring and desperately tried to touch it to his skin. No reaction occurred. She tried to remove the ring from her finger but it would not budge.

"Please!" she shouted to no one and she tugged on the ring once more. "Please, he needs it more than I do." But silence greeted her once more. She sat back in defeat, but her peripheral noticed a doorway draw itself onto the wall near her. That door was not there a moment earlier.

The door opened for her and she had a moment to look down at Draco's pale face and her bloodied hands before she set her face into a grim determination. "Hold on." She gathered her arms about his shoulders and used her weight to leverage him towards the opening door. He was heavy, but Goddess help her she was moving him down this hallway. She prayed for strength. "Just hold on, Draco." As soon as she pulled him through the doorway, the door swung shut with a heavy thud.

* * *

Even though he couldn't do anything with it, Theo held his wand tightly in his grasp. The sweat that accumulated there reflected his nerves and fear. It gave him great security to hold it as he, Blaise and Luna marched through a seeming large labyrinth. They had found an entrance to the underground maze beneath the island near a large set-up of stones. Luna gathered it to be an altar, but for what none could answer. After finding the symbol of Avalon on the outcropping of rocks nearby, as she did back in the church, she pushed in the symbol and the altar gave way to a stairway leading underground.

They had been walking for only a couple of minutes throughout the stone tunnels when Theo first heard the voice. _I know what it is you seek. _The voice sounded off the hallway. He whipped his head and torch he carried around looking for the bodiless voice. "Did you hear that?" he called to Blaise and Luna just ahead of him.

Both turned around to face him. "Hear what?" Blaise questioned.

"I didn't hear anything," Luna replied. After stopping to double check that no sound was being made, the trio carried on down the hallways, their torch light chasing away the darkness. _Only the strong of heart can hear me._ The voice rang out again and Theo swung his torch behind him, convinced that someone was behind him.

"Now I _know_ I just heard something!" He shouted and the pair ahead stopped. "Please tell me you heard _that_!" And both shook their heads, quietly watching him.

"What are you hearing, Theo?" Luna questioned intrigued.

"A voice. A man's voice, telling me they know why I'm here." He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you guys might have heard it too."

Blaise shook his head. "All I can hear is the sound of our footsteps."

"Maybe we should follow it," Luna supplied.

"I don't think that's a wise idea," Blaise replied back. "It could be another trap."

She pondered this quickly. "This voice," she replied back to Theo. "Can you respond back to it?"

"I hadn't thought to try," and at Luna's insistence, he gave it a shot. "I can hear you. Can you show me what I'm looking for?" He called to the air. After a moment, nothing happened and he turned disappointing eyes back to his companions. Stillness overtook him when the voice responded. _Follow my voice, young Nott._

Theo straightened considerably and Blaise instantly took notice. "You heard it again, didn't you?" Theo nodded. "Keep them talking, maybe they can show us to the Chalice."

Theo narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but did as asked. "How do I follow you? I'm not sure where to go." He spun around as a lone torch lit up at the end of the tunnel they were currently in. _If you heed my call, I can give you everything your heart desires._ Theo rushed hurriedly past a confused looking Luna and Blaise in eager anticipation. "This way," he responded back to their confused faces and took off for the end of the hall.

Once they reached the end of that hall, another torch at the end suddenly lit up and a pathway was illuminated for them to follow. All the while they walked down the long tunnels, the voice whispered within Theo's mind. _I can feel the pain within your heart young Nott. Your friends have betrayed you. The woman you loved betrayed you and for what? So much have you given to aid your friend and this is how they repay you. It has almost cost you your life and your heart. What has been given to you in return? What will be given to any of you in return? Young Malfoy takes the Chalice for his own, Young Weasely takes your love for his own, and Young Granger takes the glory for her own and you are left with nothing._

Theo's speed increased as he tried to outpace the voice's constant taunts but it followed him, giving voice to the doubts and hurt that had been following him since Glastonbury. _I can give you a power no one has seen in a thousand years! The power to right what has been wronged in your life. The power to restore glory to a family name sullied by your father_. At this, Theo muttered to himself, "You know nothing about me! Shut up!" And he quickly turned another corner.

_I know all about the failings of your father. The same failings that you are rapidly falling under. Your friends, they pity you. Your love does not care for you; she so easily falls into another man's arms. Your life reeks of failure and you would sacrifice it all for a man who barely acknowledges you. _

"Shup **UP**!" Theo screamed and yanked on his hair in frustration.

"What's the matter?" Blaise asked from behind, but Theo could not see him.

Theo stopped walking, suddenly caught in a darkening room by himself. Blaise and Luna could no longer be seen. Before him, he only saw Pansy wrapped in a loving embrace with Ron Weasely, intimately talking amongst each other. To their side he saw, Blaise and Luna sharing a private dance, sneaking kisses beneath the falling snow. Next to them, Draco and Hermione laughed outright as he sneaked an arm about her waist, leaning down to kiss her waiting lips. _All around you, your friends find love and you are left in the cold. Do they care? _The voice sneered. _All they request of you is to aid them in a mission for your 'supposed' friend, while with the same breath admonish you to contain yourself. You are a strong wizard. Not one of them would contain themselves calmly while their love was taken away. _Theo shook his head. "I'm doing this for Drake, my best mate," he remarked softly and sank to his knees.

_And when the time comes, when he has successfully gained the Chalice, he will forget about you. They will all forget about you. Do not let this chance pass you by_, the voice spoke heavily.

A lone tear gathered in Theo's eye. "The chance to do what?" he questioned slowly.

_A chance for greatness, _it whispered and the room brightened to reveal a square room made of stone. He was no longer in the tunnel. Blaise and Luna no longer stood next to him. He was alone in this room and the voice egged him onwards. Towards the back of the room, a lone chest sat. It was covered in dust and looked no bigger than a woman's jewelry box. _Greatness, Theo. All you have to do is open the box. Open the box and take what is yours._ _Not Draco's, not Ron's, not Pansy's, but yours._

Theo picked himself up from his feet and he felt an imaginary wind push him towards the box. He wiped his hand roughly against his cheek at the lone tear that had splattered from his eye and took a hesitant step towards the box. The voices resounded in his head over and over again. The mantra to open the box drove through his skull to the point of pain. He bent at the knee to pick up the tiny box and could not make out the markings scribbled on top of it.

Blaise and Luna skidded into the room just then, but it was too late. Theo had lifted the lid. A rush of wind glided through the room and landed just above Theo's heart. With widened eyes and a painful gasp, he dropped to the ground cold and unmoving, the box tumbling from his prone fingers.

With a shout, Blaise rushed forward towards his friend fallen. "Theo! THEO!" He pushed the man's black hair from his face and with the other, checked for a pulse: it was faint, but still there. "What happened?" he whispered to his unconscious friend. Luna stood quietly behind Blaise.

"Is he alive?" she whispered, her hands wrung tightly in the bottom of her shirt.

Blaise nodded. "I can't tell what happened though." He looked down at the man's face, and paused when he noticed a small facial tick. He sat back when he saw it again. Theo's jaw groaned and he rolled over and away from Blaise, who was reaching a comforting hand to the man's shoulder. "Theo, mate, you scared me. Is everything-" And he was suddenly thrown back, the wall abruptly stopping his journey across the room and he slid down the wall in a pained groaned.

"Do not touch me!" Theo roared. He stood then and with piercing red eyes, held Luna frozen in place. "What's the matter, young one? See something that frightens you?" Theo's mouth moved, but it was not his voice. It was an older, male voice slightly accented in an ancient Welsh.

"Who are you?" she spoke softly as Theo rose to his full height above her.

"From hundreds of years, my _sister_," he sneered at familial term, "has held my soul trapped to this accursed island. Long I have wished for a peaceful sleep next to the woman I love, but little did I know when she brought me here years ago to heal my wounds from battle, I would remained tied to this island forever."

Luna's pale blue eyes widened in shock and fear. "You are…you're..." she trailed off as the legend himself stretched his new arms in his newly acquired human form.

"Yes, the one and only Arthur Pendragon, King of all of Britain. And I've come back to seek my revenge on Morgana's descendants and this world." He moved past her with the grace of a king and the determination of a man possessed. She stared in horror as Theo's back rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight. She ran back to Blaise who was now pulling himself up slowly off the floor.

"Blaise! We have to get out of here now," she rushed on in a panic. "We need to find the others and leave!"

He nodded and she wrapped a hand around his back to steady him to his feet. Her hand met the wet fabric of his back and she knew that he was bleeding from his fall. "I know," he rasped. "I heard."

She walked with him as he limped slowly back towards the tunnel and turned in a direction she hoped would take them back towards the surface. "We should have never come here," she murmured sadly.

* * *

Thankfully, the tunnel was short as Hermione's arms were burning. She pulled Draco until she could pull him no further and sat down next to him wearily.

"Hey," she called weakly, "Can you hear me? I'm sorry, I can't….I can't anymore." Tears escaped her eyes where she thought there was none and she crawled over his body, "Draco, answer me," she pleaded and he blinked heavy lids. His stare was unfocused and his breath wheezed in an attempt to answer, but none arose. "I'm sorry," she murmured over and over. "Please…hang on. I'll find…something." She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, smearing more blood across her face but not bothered enough to notice.

The tunnel ended into a small room, surrounded by black rock. She could feel a deep magic pulse over her, and it practically hummed within the small room. A soft blue light near the back of the room illuminated from the ground and water suddenly spilled from the top of the ceiling down to the floor, but none spread over the floor. The water ran softly down the sides of the rock in an endless waterfall and a small altar rose from the ground. A smoky, almost invisible ward surrounded the altar and on top of it sat a small cup decorated in hieroglyphs and encrusted gems; the Chalice of Healing and she exhaled in disbelief. She started for the cup slowly, aware that anything could harm her but with a last look back at Draco's broken form, she walked past the barrier and winced in anticipation of an attack.

But no just attack came. She re-opened her eyes and noted she was just inches from the cup and Draco's salvation. With a shaking hand, she reached forward with hesitant fingers. She could make out the liquid waiting inside of the cup and hope shuttered within her bones.

The instant she wrapped a hand around the stem of the Chalice, she was consumed in a bright light and once again opened her eyes to a new surroundings. This time she stood in a field of endless green, nothing in sight either way, and a warm sun greeted her overhead. She was clean of her wounds and blood stains and looked down to her now blood-free hands. When she looked back up, a woman stood opposite her. She had long, ebony hair down to her toes and her head was wrapped in a crown of flowers. She wore a simple white robe that was fastened at the waist with a purple cloth. Her eyes held a kind and open warmth that held no malice and she opened her hands in welcome.

"I must congratulate you, daughter on achieving this great feat. It was by no coincidence that you made it here where others have failed." The woman spoke and it sounded of bells. Was this some sort of magic? No voice could sound so naturally melodic. "Do not be scared, Hermione."At this, the woman curtsied, when she rose she continued, "My name is Morgana Le Faye. I have been anticipating you for some time now." Hermione dropped her head out of respect and found she could no longer look the woman in the eye. She felt compelled by powerful magic to drop to her knees and she did.

"I have come for the Chalice of Healing…" Hermione began but was softly interrupted.

"I know why you have come." Morgana quirked her head quizzically at Hermione. "Many have tried and failed to reach to the Chalice Room, the temptations of the island or the horrors found within often lead to their demise."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "We almost did not make it either." In fact, the reason she was still standing was because he took a blade meant for her. It brought urgency back to her mind. "Please." She looked at the woman pleadingly. "He does not have much time."

But Morgana dismissed her. "Long ago, I too would have travelled to the ends of the earth for the man I loved. But my brother deemed him unworthy and had him killed." A darkening aura wrapped around Morgana as she lost herself to memories and Hermione had to wrap her arms around herself in an effort to starve off the sudden chill. The sudden warmth of the green field melted away to bitter cold. "I have never truly forgiven him for that, but what he denied me in life, I denied him in death," she cruelly spoke and Hermione was confused at her words. The powerful witch suddenly sighed, and the cold withered away. "Even after all this time, he has not forgotten and revenge has blindsided what was once a good and moral man. He is nothing but a shadow of his former self," she whispered sadly.

"Who?" Hermione ventured, although she had a good guess already formed in her mind.

"My brother, Arthur. His soul is forever bound to this island while his love sleeps somewhere he cannot join. It has driven him to madness and he would use any means to avenge," she looked at Hermione pointedly, "even if it meant to destroy the last of my line."

"The last of your line?"

"There is a reason that you can enter past the barrier that surrounds the Chalice but others cannot. The strongest witches and wizards could not have fooled an ancient blood ward. Hermione, you are a distant great-grandaugther of mine. There is no denying the strong magical properties in your blood." And Hermione sat back in disbelief.

"What?" she choked out in shock. "But I'm muggle-born."

"The genes of my father may have recessed during the generations, but they are ever present. You **are** a descendant of my line," Morgana assured the shocked witch. "It is why my sisters tried to reach out to you in the water earlier. There is something else you must also know before I leave." As Hermione's raised eyebrows, Morgana carried on. "The Chalice cannot leave past the blood barrier. It was set for protection and cannot be undone. It was purposely set against others who would use it for nefarious purposes."

"But I am not using it for nefarious purposes!"

"Yes, I know, you seek it to save the one you love." Hermione could only blink in response and Morgana smiled softly. "You cannot hide your heart from me, child. Like I said, I would travel to the ends of the earth and back to save the man I loved. I pray you both will get the chance at the happiness I never had. Take heed, young Hermione. The power of the Chalice can be overwhelming, but I will leave judgment up to you. Take care, dear child."

Before Hermione could respond, she found herself back in the Chalice Room, completely covered in Draco's blood and battle wounds. It brought her mind sharply to the present and without thinking, she lifted the Chalice to her lips and drank the cool liquid inside of her mouth. Mindful of Morgana's words, she left the Chalice on the altar and rushed back to Draco's side.

She slid to her knees and pulled his limp form by the collar of his jacket; he was completely unresponsive. She prayed she was not too late and pushed her mouth close to his. When their lips touched, she used her tongue to pry past his cold lips and pushed as much of the water as she could into his mouth. Some spilled down their combined chins, but she sealed their lips together in effort to save as much as she could for him. She moved one hand to the back of his neck and angled his head so that the water fell backwards down his throat.

She released his head once all the water left her mouth. She could feel the residual effect of his lips plus the enchanted water on her tongue. She willed his eyes to open and held his limp head in her hands. Afraid she was too late, she kissed him one more time desperately hoping he would respond. If not, then she would take the last kiss she could while his body still retained heat. Her tears mingled with his blood and dripped onto his face in vain. As she hugged him fiercely to her body and shook with the force of her tears, she cried out to the room, "Oh, please! Please, _no_!" She pressed her lips towards his once more and gave a shocked gasp when his hand lifted to her head to steady her. She opened her eyes to the brightest grey she had ever seen and her world began.

* * *

Breath ran in and out of his nose softly and every one was like a gift from the Gods. He felt the silky coolness of the Chalice water ease through his veins and like a cleansing potion felt every inch of his body renewed. Old and new wounds healed and the poison that had been slowly eating away at his body was oddly absent. His body felt instantaneously lightened and he blinked at the wetness that hit his face.

Draco opened his eyes to see Granger crying above him, her soft pleas encasing around his heart. He lifted a hand easily to her head in effort to stop her crying and her eyes immediately snapped to his. For heavy moments both just stared at the other. He wiped a finger down her cheek, smudged with his blood and her tears and she lunged at him, her lips brutally crashing down onto his own.

His resolve melted away to hesitancy which then seemed to erode after a minute and hungrily his lips were seeking her own with a desperate urgency. Their kiss was sloppy and rushed as if something were going invade the private moment to remind them that this was wrong, but Draco did not care. With every kiss, he felt the shadow image of Voldemort receding from his mind. With every caress and hesitant touch, he could feel the cold curse that inhabited his body melt into Hermione's advances. His hands moved slowly from her head down to her shoulders and she sighed when his head left hers for her neck. Something awakened within him and the thought came rushing to the forefront with enough force to make his head pound, though not with pain.

This was the first physical encounter together. It was not exactly ideal and far from perfect. Perhaps he had finally cracked and his emotional state was equally a mess, but he wanted control. He wanted to take charge of his body for once and not have live in fear. He wanted to feel alive and even if it was broken, a few stolen moments away from death, he would take it.

He pushed her back down on the stone floor eager to show her every bit of appreciation he felt, every bit of gratitude his words could never convey and so he set his hands, his mouth and his tongue on a course for repayment. He slowly discovered every inch of her body and in a slow heat took his time with her. Endless nights of suffering and pain melted into her soft moans and gasps. All those days of waiting, searching and hoping manifested in her sharp gasp as he entered her for the first time and he sank into her a man anew. He could not contain the slow groan that broke his lips at the feel of her surrounding him. They both lie dirty, emotionally broken on the stone floor, but he could not seem to tear his eyes from the beauty of it all.

The soft lights around the Chalice came to life as he slowly moved his hips within her. The lights brightened and danced through the room, finally coming to sink into their skin as their lovemaking crescendoed and intensified. He held her amber eyes, and suddenly he was swimming in their depths as he rocked against her and she shut her eyes in response. "Look at me," he softly commanded and she did, enchanted by the blue reflection tinting off of his skin.

When she could hold it no more, she squeezed her eyes shut as waves of pleasure overtook her and he gasped as her walls clenched around him. He gathered her in his arms and pulled her tight until the last spasm pulled him over. "Fuck," he groaned and let go into the most blissful, sweet pain he had felt in over two years. He fell down upon her weak and breathed in deeply the sweet aroma of her skin. Afraid to look her in the eye suddenly, he murmured against her neck, "Thank you." A kiss to the neck.

"For my life," another to her cheek, "For everything," and another to her lips. As he pulled back, he found her gazing at him through tears. "I will never be able repay you, Hermione. But I swear I will use this newly given life to find a way."

She opened her mouth to respond when the ground gave great shake and he pulled her close to his body in response. The Chalice and the altar it sat on, lowered neatly back into the ground and the door they had entered through opened. Water rushed down the walls, covered the floor and this time it did start to rise. He helped Hermione to her feet and with a quick pull to her hand once she was straightened and hastily dressed, both ran with vigor towards the exit. His hand never left Hermione's as he pulled them down the tunnel and back into the winding labyrinth once more.

The water sloshing up to their ankles could only mean one thing: the islands were starting to recede back into the ocean. It was time to leave.

Back in the tunnel, they ran into Ron and Pansy, very much alive and well, if not a little worse for wear. Hermione's face was wet yet again from the fact that her friends were not harmed. Ron informed them that in their wanderings they had found the exit and led the group down the dark tunnel towards an ever-increasing light. Pansy smiled brightly when she saw that her old friend ran with a renewed energy and the haunted look that adorned his face earlier was missing. He smiled back at her in return. With another squeeze to Hermione's hand, Draco lifted her up the stairs back towards the surface, just as the water began to reach their waists. Ron was the last to exit the tunnel and the water was mere inches behind him.

All four ran past the apple trees and stopped when they ran into an injured Blaise and Luna. "We need to get off this island, now!" Blaise shouted to Draco once he saw him. Draco rushed to help prop the injured man up with Luna's aid and steadied him as they reached the raft. The quickly jumped into the waiting boat, the island sinking quickly back into the sea as dawn approached.

"Where's Theo?" Draco shouted as the island shrunk around them. He helped Pansy into the raft and as soon as everyone else was abroad, he pushed them off the disappearing shoreline back into the channel. Blaise and Luna shook their heads sadly.

"Something's happened to him," she started sadly as Ron took out an oar and began to push them away from Avalon. "I think he was tempted by something evil and then he hurt Blaise. It was as if he didn't even know him."

"He's been possessed by the spirit of King Arthur," Blaise wearily informed the group. "He's mad on revenge. He sought Theo out and he never stood a chance." He hung his head. "There was nothing we could do." The group remained silent as they individually processed the loss of one of their own. Pansy held back tears in her eyes and Draco looked forlornly at the now receded island of Avalon; swirling waters were all that reminded them that an island had actually been there.

"Shit," Draco remarked quietly and then louder, "Fuck!" Hermione reached a hand forward and squeezed his hand as he hung his head. They reached the shore a few quiet minutes later and wearily everyone began to disembark the raft when a shriek from Luna whipped their heads back towards the water.

Emerging from the Channel as if he had walked the length of it was Theo, possessed by the mad king Arthur. The group took a step back and drew their wands, hesitant to actually use it but still their arm still held true. A woman with long auburn hair emerged from the water as well and Draco whispered beside Hermione. "Isn't that the woman from the water earlier? The one who tried to pull you under?" She nodded absently as she watched the lady, who she knew to be Morgana's sister pull a long sword from the lake.

She handed it to Arthur, formerly Theo, and he took his old friend, Excalibur from her clutch. He tested the weight of it within his new body and although it proved a bit heavy at first, he swung in a perfected arc. Then he slowly marched out of the water and towards the group. His eyes landed on Draco and Hermione, frozen at the sight of their old companion. "Prepare to suffer as I have all these years!" Quick to his new surroundings, instead of attacking with Excalibur, he swung Theo's wand out and cast an _Impediamenta_ towards Draco who blocked it effortlessly. Arthur then began firing off old spells none of them recognized, but blocked to their best of their ability.

He must been educated in older, darker spells from Merlin, because he cast one at Hermione that she was not able to block completely and a jet of dark green broke through her shield and hit her arm. She fell to the ground besides Draco with a grunt. The entire arm went numb and started to turn a sickening shade of dark green, then black before it slowly spread up her arm. She looked up from the ground to see Draco and Ron holding off Arthur, but both had to dodge attacks from his wand as well as Excalibur. Anything they threw at him, he blocked through the power of Excalibur.

"He's too strong!" Ron yelled back to the group. Luna hobbled Blaise, unable to fight, over to Hermione on the ground and she blocked out the mind-numbing pain that now gripped her shoulder. This was not a good sign. She searched in her bag of holding for the Time Turner.

"Pull them back now!" she ordered to Pansy, who desperately yearned to join the fight, but was hesitant to throw anything at her former lover.

"They're overwhelmed," Blaise grimaced. "They'll never get away in time."

And then a brilliant flash of light surrounded them all. Hermione threw her good arm in front of her eyes in effort to protect them from the white, hot light as did the others. By the time she lowered her arm, her mouth fell open at the sight of Athena draped in full battle regalia. The Goddess held her sword arm up, tried and true and stood between them. Draco and Ron stood on one side and a smiling Arthur stood on the other.

"Never one to leave a good battle, huh, Athena?" Arthur mocked.

She twirled a spear in one hand and held her sword in the other. She gathered innate power to her weapons. "I will warn you just this once, Arthur. Leave now or suffer the consequences."

His sneer quickly dropped. "Never. Not until that wench pays with her life … or better yet her love." He held up Theo's wand and Excalibur and both pointed at Athena's neck.

"They are both innocent in this. I will **not** give you this chance again," she warned.

"Neither will I." He then moved to attack, but Hermione could only hear the clash of metal and sharp clap of thunder as the two powerful beings met in battle.

The numbing black started to pull over her shoulder blade and she knew she had to get to Mungo's immediately. "_Draco!_" she whined and he turned his head towards her call. He ran back towards her then and scooped her into his arms and Ron joined them a few seconds later, still awestruck at the battle before them.

She shakingly pulled out the chain with one hand, the sounds of a fierce battle waging behind the group and the ground shook from the energy expended. After they all gathered under the chain, Hermione used what little strength she had left to turn the dial back to the year 2000. The last thing she felt was Draco's arm lift her to his chest before the world tipped to black and in a flash, they were gone.

Athena threw down her spear and attacked Arthur sword to sword, but he advanced on her in madness. "I'm no fool, Athena. You're clever ruse to distract me failed." He side-stepped her attack and stepped away. "I know where they are going and you cannot stop me." Redness lit up his face.

She breathed in deeply, but held firm to her sword. "I know. I merely gave them a head start."

"You cannot be around to protect them always. I will have my revenge," he assured the Goddess and sheathed Excalibur.

She did not sheathe her sword, and met him head on. "I will always be around, Arthur. That you can count on."

"Then we will see each other in battle again."

"So we shall." And with a brilliant flash of light, the Greek Goddess disappeared. Arthur raised his wand and jumped back to the year 2000, his heart and mind painfully set on vengeance. _This is for you, Theo._ He quietly spoke to the ever-fighting man contained within himself and chuckled darkly. _And some for me, as well. _

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for the amazing reviews – they inspire me to write more. Well, what did you think? Dark I know, but that is where my muse took me. Don't worry we'll get some lighter moments soon, but they will be few and far between as things really get going now. You didn't think just because they made it to Avalon, the story was over, did you? We've got so much more to go. _

_So, like it, love it, need more? Please let me know!_

_P.S. This whole story started from the Chalice Room scene. I had a vision of Draco and Hermione in that room where she reaches for the Chalice for him and then boom this story was born. Just a side note – okay I'm done. _


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

* * *

The sounds of beeping and whirring brought Hermione back to consciousness. It seemed like a blink had passed since leaving the year 2004 on that forgotten coastline; the last thing she remembered was Athena holding Arthur back from Hermione and the others while a battle that ensued before she currently awoke in the present. She sat upright, afraid suddenly they were still in the year 2004, and glanced around wildly at the St. Mungo's hospital room she was resting in. She stopped when she came upon the face of Harry Potter sitting in a chair next to her bed and she struggled to think when she last saw him. The Ministry. The night she came for the Time Turner.

He looked the same as he did then, albeit angrier by the set of his jaw, so she deduced she was back at the right time. They had escaped the mad King Arthur. She had a moment to process that before Harry started to speak.

"I need to know what the bloody hell is going on _right now_, Hermione!" he seethed and she could not blame him. She sat back against the hospital bed and bit her bottom lip. "They owled me soon after they brought you here, nearly _dying_! You don't think I deserve some sort of explanation!?"

"You do," she insisted, but he cut her off before she could continue, anger still gripping him.

"You almost _died_. You've been under for two days!" Wetness shone in his emerald orbs. "No one knew what had happened to you and they had nearly every bloody healer in here trying to force potions down your throat. They questioned the hell of out of Malfoy and Ron, but even _they_ didn't know!"

She sat up at his name. "Draco's here?" But he did not hear her.

"What the hell is going on, Hermione?" And he looked at her then; a half-crazed look of determination shone at her. "Tell me, right now. Please."

She sighed. "I meant to tell you, but everything sort of happened so quickly," she murmured and felt horrid for the pain he was currently experiencing. Now that she had fulfilled her promise to Mrs. Malfoy, the Vow no longer held and she was free to tell him everything from the beginning. So she did. She finished with their narrow escape from Avalon and Arthur emerging from the Channel. "Theo-Arthur, I guess, cast a spell I had never heard of when we were trying to escape. It hit me, but we were able to jump back here before he got to us." She left out Athena's intervention, not that he wouldn't believe her, but she felt it irrelevant at the moment. "Then I woke up here," she finished quietly. "Harry, I am _so_ sorry I couldn't tell you that day I saw you in the Ministry. If I wasn't under the Vow, you know I would have. But you and Ginny were on honeymoon when this all sort of … fell into our lap. I did not want to disturb you, especially after everything that's happened. You needed that time away. So seeing how time was of the essence, we couldn't wait for you to get back." She looked at him quietly. "Forgive me?" And she reached a hand out to his.

He slowly stood from his chair beside her bed and came to her side. Clasping a hand in hers, he quickly squeezed it back. Athena's ring came to life and she felt a wave relief and acceptance spill over from him. "Yeah, I do. But seriously, next time think to before you run off to do something stupid." He smiled through his tears.

And she smiled back. "How many times have I said the same to you?" The two shared a quiet moment before Ron entered the room, his hand full of cards and chocolate frogs.

"Hey Hermione," he greeted her. "Good to see you awake today. These are from everyone." He dropped a stack of cards from the Burrow and even some from her customers at the shop on the table beside her, before he tore into one of her chocolate frogs. "So you've told Harry yet?" he asked around the chocolate.

She raised an eyebrow. "You hadn't? I thought by now you surely would have told him?"

"Well I thought we would do it together. But it seems you beat me to the punch."

Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Have you told him _everything_, Ronald?" she asked pointedly.

He swallowed his piece of frog and reddened slightly at her implication, before he gave her the same look back. "Have _you?"_ She remained quiet and played her hands.

"What's he talking about?" Harry looked between his two best friends, both oddly quiet.

"He meant that Luna is dating Blaise," Hermione supplied, while continuing to stare holes into Ron's head. "It sort of came out that she's been seeing him for over three months now."

Harry made a face. "Really? I didn't see that one coming."

"Neither did I," Ron muttered to himself.

"_No one_ saw it coming," Hermione spoke to Ron and he met her glance, the two finding themselves in very similar situations.

"What else aren't you telling me?" Harry asked slowly. Hermione looked to see if Ron would speak first. Neither wanted to tell Harry that his two best friends found themselves _involved_ with two former Slytherins, and neither wanted to go first. Hermione huffed a breath of courage and when she opened her mouth to speak, Ron suddenly decided to join her.

"Ron is seeing Pansy Parkinson," Hermione rushed out.

"Hermione is dating Draco Malfoy," Ron spit out, not a second after her.

They both spoke at the same time and dropped off into stunned silence. Hermione remained frozen and shocked that Ron would do such a thing and shot him an angry glare. He shot an annoyed glare right back.

Harry watched the two interact with each other. "Come again?"

Hermione half-shrugged, while Ron smiled crookedly and spoke to Harry. "Strange times, mate," was all he could offer.

Harry huffed a breath of disbelief and fell back down in his chair. "Strange times? I'm gone for two weeks and the whole bloody world has flipped on its head." He looked back between the two and scrunched his eyebrows. "You're both mad!"

"That's it?" Hermione exclaimed, shocked that she had not felt some overpowering emotion from him. "I thought you would be more…angry."

Ron quickly added, "I think that's an effect of all the _honeymooning_."

"Hey!" Harry put in.

"It would seem so," Hermione spoke through a smile, but continued on. "But there's more. Remember what I told you about Arthur?" Harry looked like he could possibly take no more, but nodded silently. "Well, he's completely bent on revenge. He thinks I'm the descendent of Morgana Le Faye and is after me in some twisted revenge-on-love scheme. I think we have to prepare ourselves that he'll follow us here. To this year," she spoke solemnly.

"Wait - you're a descendent of Morgana Le Faye!?" Ron exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

"In the Chalice Room," she answered him quickly, but turned back to Harry. "Harry, do you know what this means?"

He ran a weary hand through his hair, his new wedding band reflecting the sunlight from the window. "Yeah. We've got another immortal being bent on revenge and retribution, and don't tell me…world domination?"

Ron clapped Harry on the back. "Welcome back!" he remarked dryly.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure, but if Arthur has found some way to inhabit Theo, then I'm sure we need to find a way to bring Theo back. It's his body, we just need to-"

"If you're talking about stopping Theo, you can't possibly think I'll sit back and let you do this alone," Draco spoke from the doorway. "He's my friend, not yours."

The two men beside her sat up as Draco entered the room and Hermione could not help but look him over. She had to assure herself that he was here, healthy and alive. A warm flush stained his cheeks when he caught her looking at him and she dropped her gaze in embarrassment. She then caught sight of a single rose in his hand and she could not help but smile broadly at the gesture.

"Come on, Harry. Let's go get some lunch." Ron pulled on Harry's shoulder and the two hesitantly walked towards the doorway. "We'll be back in a few." He quietly closed the door behind him and with a wink to Hermione left the pair alone.

"Hi," she said quietly to the blond.

"Hi."

"Your rose is lovely."

He looked down to the forgotten flower in his hand. "It's from my mother's garden. Even though it's been cut, it's enchanted never to wither or fade." He walked around to her bedside and stood next to her. "She sends it with her gratitude."

"Oh," and her disappointment spread.

"I would like to invite you to dinner," he said suddenly, "Whenever you leave here, to thank you." He grabbed her hand softly and dropped a swift kiss to the back of it, "properly." She blushed as she remembered the gratitude he displayed after she saved him in the Chalice Room and the warmth would not leave her face. "I'd be honored if you could join me."

She nodded. "Of course." She took the flower from his extended hand and lifted it to her nose to inhale its fragrance. "Thank you. It's beautiful." And quite suddenly, she found her head being tipped up by a single finger.

His lips met hers in a kiss that was sweet and full of promise. Her hand tightened around the rose and not knowing what to do with her other hand, she grabbed the blanket on her bed instead. His lips tasted like the softest pillow, so full of life and she shuddered remembering that not long passed since he had been gloriously worshipping her body. She longed for a repeat performance where they were not minutes from death, scared or covered in blood.

He broke away and left her breathless and blinking. "_That_ is from me," he spoke softly.

She nodded again, not quite sure if she should thank him for a kiss and looked down at her sheets, cheeks aflame. She was about to open her mouth when he spoke. "Owl me when they release you." His back was already at the door.

Disappointed that she not could leave with him there, she smiled and promised, "I will." He smiled back and her lips tingled in response. With a last look, he was gone and her hands tightened around the red rose in anticipation.

* * *

She had been released from the hospital later that afternoon and she could not spare another minute without owling him the good news. Currently, a house-elf by named of Mipsy led her around the back of the house. Why they were having dinner outside, she couldn't guess. Somehow, Draco knew that she would never want to eat inside of the Manor, but had taken the time to elaborately set up a dinner for two in a courtyard in the middle of what must have been his mother's garden. She pulled her coat close to her as the newly fallen snow tickled her nose.

She walked up the patio steps to a small table draped in green tablecloth. A warming charm had set around the small table to ensure its occupants' warmth and she figured there would not be a need for her overcoat now and handed her pea coat to Mipsy. Draco had not yet arrived and she chose to wait for him by their table, elegantly set for two seats. A lone candle sat in the middle. Even though they sat out in the night air, the snow fell around her as if it was hitting an invisible barrier. The snowflakes hit the sides and fell all around her; the effect as if she were in the middle of a snow globe, their table the figurine in the middle. She stood in an sleeveless, cowl-neck cream sweater dress with matching heels. She left her hair down for the evening. She bit her bottom lip and hoped that it wasn't too much.

"You look beautiful this evening." She turned to face Draco advancing down the patio path towards her.

"Thank you," and shyly returned, "You look rather nice yourself." Nice was not the word to properly describe it. He wore a crisp white button down shirt, one button left opened at the top and matching white pants that moved elegantly with his gait - tailor made, she supposed. Refined. Handsome. Striking. They were all better word choices than _nice_ but for the life of her she could move past that one word. He rendered her speechless.

He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "My mother again sends her thanks. She wished to join us, but declined against it." She gathered by his smirk building that he had something to do with his mother's decision in declining. Cunning.

"It's quite alright. I'm sure I'll see her soon." And she sat in the chair he pulled out for her. "What made you decide to eat out here?" she asked as she placed her napkin in her lap.

He darkened briefly and she felt a small wave of sadness emote from him. Before offered to drop the question, he continued, "Before…when I didn't think I had much time left, I would spend all my time outdoors. One never appreciates the gift of fresh air until you're faced with not having it anymore."

"Even cold air?" She half-smiled.

"Especially cold air. Invigorates the senses you know?" He wiggled an eyebrow.

She laughed. "Right! That's why you put up a heating charm," she gestured around them.

"That was for your benefit."

"Well then I guess I should thank you."

Mipsy then brought out dinner, a selection of his favorites: lobster with drawn butter, asparagus, and roasted potatoes and of course the best wine Malfoy Manor had to offer. He confessed that all food had lost meaning and taste for him while he was cursed and mainly survived off a liquid diet. She was surprised, but when she thought back on it, she rarely saw him eat at all while they were out searching for the road to Avalon. He happily dug into his plate now, she thought with an amused grin.

They ate in comfortable silence and surprisingly the conversation flowed effortlessly between them. After a few stops and starts, she found he was uncomfortable talking about his father or the War, but loved talking about Quidditch (she was not surprised) or his love to travel. Now that he had all the time in world, he quickly laid out his plan to her to see the faraway places he thought would ever be afforded to him. She was glad for him, except there was one small hindrance.

"What are we going to do about Theo?" she asked softly as they finished their dinner.

He finished his last bite and quietly chewed in thought. "I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if Theo's a lost cause or if he even still has any control."

"Of course, he's still there. I refuse to believe he's given up; and we shouldn't either," she stressed.

He regarded her carefully. "I'm not saying we should give up, but we're going up against a powerful, ancient force that is capable of spells that we don't know how to combat. How are we supposed to fight against that?" he looked pointedly at her.

"I don't have a clue." She reached across the table to grab his hand. "That doesn't mean we give up though. Theo's our friend. We owe him that much."

"Adopting us Slytherins, aren't we?" he asked with a lop-sided grin, squeezing her hand playfully.

She giggled. "You bunch are hard to get rid of, I suppose."

"Bleeding heart Gryffindors: always trying to save the world. Color me surprised."

She raised an eyebrow in jest. "I know of one Slytherin I saved." And his grin slipped. "Not that I meant to hang it over your head," she rushed. "I just-" God, now the evening was ruined.

"It's alright, Granger. Don't trip over yourself." He held her hand in his and laced his fingers through hers. "Dance with me," he softly asked.

She did not have time to respond as he suddenly lifted her from her seat and pulled her away from the table. Soft music floated from above and she drew in close to him automatically. He wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her flush against his chest; she inhaled his cologne and drew him tighther. With a wave of his fingers, the warming charm around them vanished and the winter air hit them both.

"Wandless magic?" She guessed and he nodded.

"The water from Morgana's Chalice has some other enhanced qualities apparently," he spoke above her head.

"You'll have to enlighten me sometime," she replied as he turned them, her head dizzying from the wine. Her present company may have had something to do with that as well.

She snaked another arm around his neck in effort to draw more warmth and she smirked up at him, immediately onto his plan. "Slytherin," she accused and he smirked back.

"To the core, love." And he spun her softly in time to the music that drifted down with the snowflakes.

When he brought her in close, his fingers played softly with Athena's ring on her hand. "So Athena, huh?" And she looked down to the ring that instantly warmed at his touch.

She nodded and looked back at his greys, which oddly matched the falling snow around them. "Yes, it's hers. She gave it to me." She sighed heavily and leaned her head against his chest, soothed by the strong heartbeat beneath. "She tried to warn me of going to Avalon. Of the evil that awaited us there. I should have listened-"

"Don't doubt yourself, Hermione," He interrupted her, dropping his chin on top of her head. "You couldn't possibly have known what would happen once we got there."

"Yes, but if we never went, then -"

"Then I would be dead." She lifted her head from his chest. She could feel his chest expand with air and he rushed out on a breath, "And I never would have had the chance to do this." And he suddenly lowered his head to hers in a kiss that stole the last of her breath. He tasted of sweet wine and her senses flooded, completely captivated by the man before her.

When they separated, he leaned his head against hers and promised gently, "We'll save Theo." His eyes danced amongst their snowy background.

"And the world?" she softly joked.

"And the bloody world," he reluctantly repeated and brought the hand that held her waist up to the side of her face. His thumb softly stroked down the side of her cheek. They stopped their dance and she leaned her head into the side of his palm and closed her eyes on a sigh, relishing in the touch on her skin.

"Together?" she asked quietly.

"Together." And he kissed her once more, the snow drifting down between their faces landing lightly in their hair. Her hands chilled but she did not care. They stood there, their hands slowly tracing each other's bodies as if for the first time, and she gently stroked over his hair. He deepened the kiss on her moan and she let him consume her, the lust radiating off of him, exponentially increasing hers that much more.

Not wanting to disturb, Narcissa stepped back into the shadows, her footsteps silent on the patio path. She wisely chose not to interrupt the young pair and smiled once more at the sight before she took off for the Manor. By the looks of things, she would be seeing more of Hermione Granger around the Manor and she would thank her properly then. She raised her wand and dimmed the lights around the patio and left the two alone once more.

* * *

On that same snowy night hundreds of miles away, the newly risen Arthur slowly trekked up a snowy hill. He could never forget the location of the Glastonbury Tor and even in this new century not much had changed in the old village.

When he had landed back in this year, he blended right in with the town's current population and he could not be more pleased. The man's body he had stolen matched perfectly with this new world and he set himself on a course for St. Michael's Tower. He moved in the dead of night and silently made his way up to the roofless tower. With a wave of his wand to ensure a wall of silence, he very softly began the chant that would give him audience for man he sought.

The ground gave a deep rumble and a gathering ball of darkness floated near Arthur. As the ball grew nearer, Arthur could feel the man inside of him struggle for control.

"Calm yourself young one. This will rectify all of our problems." And the young man beat against the mental barriers Arthur set up against him, but it was for naught. Eventually, he would tire and retreat. Soon the man would give up entirely and he could worry about him no more. For the moment, he brushed him away as one would an annoying fly.

The ball grew to a large size and immediately formed to the shape of a large, great man. His long hair twisted into giant locks and he carried a large spear and shield. He snarled when he recognized Arthur, even with his new skin.

"Why have you come here, Pendragon?" he sneered.

Arthur dropped to one knee in respect. "Gwyn ap Nudd, the first Lord of the Underworld, I have come to seek an audience with thee," he spoke from the floor of the tower.

"I see you have escaped your witch sister's prison."

Arthur struggled to contain his fury. "For too long, that _witch_ held me captive against my will and I have escaped in hopes of finally claiming what is rightfully mine."

Long moments passed as the Spirit assessed Arthur's words. "I cannot bring Guinevere back from the grave for you. Surely you must know this."

He nodded and rose from the ground. "I do. But that is not what I ask. Grant me the power to raise my armies from long ago. I have business to finish here. But those who I go against are powerful and have powerful allies. I cannot face them alone."

The Lord of the Underworld considered briefly and asked, "What will you give me in return?"

"The last living descendant of Morgana Le Faye. She is a powerful tool to possess as she is fair. She is more than a fair price."

The Lord moved around the mad King then, looking for this lost descendent. "I do not see her with you."

"That is why I need my army," Arthur spoke urgently. "The Greek Goddess Athena will surely meddle with my attempt to bring the girl here alone; she favors her so. I need strong reinforcements if I am to bring here to you." He paused. "So, do we have an accord?"

The Lord of the Underworld grinned wickedly and turned and raised his hand to the sky. His voice roared and thundered across the valley below. "Here my voice and obey. Those who swore an oath to Arthur Pendragon have yet to fulfill your service. Rise from your slumber and march to his command. Rise and go forth and bring me Morgana's heir. Rise! _Rise now and march_!"

And all across Britain, the earth split open. From shallow graves long forgotten to old churches torn to ruin, the thousands that served during Arthur's reign in life, rose in full battle regalia, ready to serve him again in death. They marched in deadly unison to Arthur's call.

* * *

_A/N: So some fluff before we move on. It's not over for our heroes yet, but I wanted to give them a short break before we got into in it. Please let me know what you think – thank you to everyone is reading and enjoying this story._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

* * *

A roll of thunder accompanied the large fist slamming on the marble throne and all in the room visibly flinched at the Greek God of Sky and Thunder's anger. "This is completely _unacceptable_!" The deep timbre of Zeus's voice echoed throughout the great chamber. "I expressly forbade you to interfere and what is the first thing you do?" The anger poured off of him in static energy as he questioned the solitary figure before him.

If Athena was nervous, she did not show it. She rolled her shoulders back and began, "But, Father…"

Zeus sat upon his marble throne high above Mt. Olympus and sharply interrupted his daughter, "But nothing, Athena! Do you know what you have done?" She stood among a council of the Gods. The Greek deities sat in a circular galley; all had answered the call of Zeus, once he had learned what had awoken on the British Isle. All save one, the God of the Underworld, sat in their marble chamber. Athena stood solitary in front of her questioning father. His anger had to direct somewhere and she was it.

She stoically replied, not fearful of her actions. "I have done nothing you yourself have done on numerous occasions."

But Zeus was not deterred. "Are you seeking to start a bloody war on that island!? They are headed towards ruin and all for what? Ares told me this was for some mere mortal."

"She is no mere mortal, Father. She is exceptionally strong and wise, she-"

"She has set in motion the undoing of the mortal world! And you have assisted in that."

"We cannot undo things already set in motion, Father," Ares jumped in, seeking to defuse the situation. He understood what it meant to be on the receiving end of his father's anger on numerous occasions and sought to deflect his father's wrath. "Arthur's armies already march towards ruin."

Zeus clarified, "They march towards the mortal Granger for revenge."

Athena spoke up again. "I will not sit back and watch them be slaughtered. Once you cared for mortals as well; you called them your children. Do you feel so little for them now?" she pleaded for reason.

"I will not meddle in wars they have started. No matter the interference from my own daughter," Zeus sat back in his throne. The lightning and thunder still shook and rumbled throughout the chamber, but no one dared to speak in his place.

Athena marched towards her father, fearing his mind set in decision. "She is far too important to die! I will not disregard her life; I warned her of the quest she undertook. But you know it is against our laws to tell a mortal their future."

"And it's not of importance to provide them tools to bring about the end of destruction?!" he questioned sharply. Lightening danced across the sky and his white hair crackled with visible electric currents. "There is a reason no mortal has been to Avalon in a millennia and now thanks to you, it has been for naught."

Hera spoke softly from her dais across from the sky god. "Zeus, do not be so hard on her. You would have done the same for any of your prodigies as well."

Ares risked a question from his position, lowered than Zeus but stationed to his side. "The only question is what are we going to do about it now?"

Poseidon, the God of the Sea answered, his triton held tightly within his hand. "What is there to do? They must face the consequences of their own actions."

Athena who had been listening carefully, turned sharply towards her father. "We cannot sit back and do nothing," she turned and raised her voice; she addressed the entire galley, "not when the world we love so is on the eve of destruction. Not when the mortals who worship and rely on us so are close to annihilation!"

Poseidon softly admonished his niece. "They made their choice. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances, Athena."

"But all is not lost! Their friend still fights the evil trapped within him. We can help them stop Arthur. There is still hope," she turned her Father, "allow me to speak with Hades, surely there is something he must know that can assist them."

Zeus regarded her closely. "What does this mortal Granger mean to you? Is she worth saving as much as you deem her to be?"

"She is by no means perfect, but long ago when we forged our bond with mortals, we strive to guide them with purpose: not that they may be like us, but that they may be a beacon unto their own world. She is that light for her own world and to lose her to such darkness would be a tragedy."

Silence swept in after her words as they regarded her carefully. Athena did not expect the Goddess of Love and Beauty to speak up, but she did. "I hear she does this for the young Malfoy," Aphrodite softly put in. Her voice held the melodic quality of bells and Spring.

Athena nodded in the affirmative. "It may have started that way, but it has evolved beyond that."

A slow grin bloomed on the Goddess of Love's perpetually young face. "If you allow me the young Malfoy, you may have all my assistance at your disposal." Leave it to Aphrodite to increase her collection of consorts when the world stood on the edge of destruction.

Athena shook her head softly. "He belongs to her, sister. I will not separate a love destined by the fates." Surely she could understand such a love. Athena looked around the galley once more and spoke quietly. "I will do this on my own, if need be. I just thought you should be all aware of what you are allowing to occur." She grabbed her spear and sword and marched to exit the gallery.

"Athena, wait." She turned around at Zeus' deep timbre. "I will grant you passage to the underworld. Speak with Hades and see what can be done. However, I do not have much else to give you…" He left his sentence intentionally hanging, but Athena accepted the measure for what it was.

"It is enough, Father."

"I will assist you as well," Ares walked up to her, spear at the ready.

"You have my support as well." Poseidon crossed his arms. One by one each God and Goddess nodded their affirmation of support and hope sprung to life within Athena's breast. She nodded briefly to her peers and headed for the entrance to the Underworld. It was time to pay a visit to her uncle.

"Come my sister, there is a war to fight," Ares' tone was grim as he walked shoulder to shoulder with the Greek Goddess, but his eyes held a light she had seen before.

"I knew you could not resist, brother." She teasingly mocked, although she was glad to have him by her side.

A sharp clap of thunder broke over the galley as the Gods dispersed, their council adjourned for now. But the storm thundered on over Mt. Olympus. Aid secretly was on its way to Wizarding London.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, another council filled with powerful beings was being held on exactly the same matter. Minister Shacklebolt had convened the council as soon as he received word from Aurors in the field. The horrific reports across the island of the dead rising and marching for war did nothing if spur the meeting on. They met at the midnight hour as soon as they could. Hermione and Draco had rushed over at Hermione's insistence, and both stood in the cramped room dressed still in their evening attire.

Harry had the floor now and stood in amidst the shouted questions; terror marked the faces of the various Department Heads, many former members of DA, Hogwarts professors and representatives of the most powerful wizarding families who sat huddled in a small room within the dark and quiet halls of the Ministry. Some sat still in their sleepwear, having floo'ed over all soon as they received the call. "We don't have the time! We need every available wand _now_." Harry was currently trying to convince some of the war-weary wizards, but they could not be persuaded.

"We have just survived one war. You are asking others to sacrifice so much, so easily." Harry recognized the older man currently speaking from the Ministry. He had fought in both Wizarding Wars and wearily regarded the group's urgent request, despite the plea from their young Savior.

Minister Shacklebolt interrupted smoothly, "He is not asking. Your Minister is asking." The dissenter shut his mouth.

Ron joined to stand beside Harry. "It's not just the Wizarding world at stake. If we can't stop Arthur and his army, he'll destroy all of Britain. The world's next, mark my words." Pansy stood beside him and squeezed his hand.

"And just _why_ is it that he's hell bent on revenge in our world first?" The spectacled dissenter swung his accusing stare to the blond still sitting, causally observing the back and forth with narrowed eyes. "This would have never started if it wasn't for _you_." He sneered to the Malfoy heir.

Hermione, who had been sitting quietly next to the blond, stood in his defense. "It isn't his fault. Neither is it Theo's," she whispered to the still room, the tension thick. "They will be upon us within a week, maybe even sooner. Whether you stand and fight is entirely up to you, but they will be here."

"And how exactly are we supposed to defeat them, Ms. Granger?" She recognized the new voice speaking as the head of one of the oldest pureblood families speaking, Alexander Tanley. He had remained neutral in the war, but still held incredible sway among wizarding society.

She had no answer for that. "I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure if we researched…"

"_Research_?," he sneered, looking down his nose at her. "The entire undead army of the legendary King Arthur has risen and you want to go to the library?"

"And I suppose you have a better idea, Tanley?" Draco rose to his feet beside Hermione. Luna and Blaise joined Harry, Ron and Pansy already standing in the middle of the room. Ginny chose to join the group as well. Draco continued, "You can chose to wait behind your manors if you want, but I'm not going to take the liberty until the apocalypse is at my door. If there is a chance that we can reach Theo," and his breath caught. Hermione's hand slipped down into his as he continued, "then I say we take it. He journeyed with us a great distance and faced untold dangers for me. I'm not to leave him to his fate." Harry caught his eye and shared a stiff nod with Draco. He could not yet identify with the man, but both understood the length one would go for a friend.

Hermione shared a small smile at the development and wished in another time, all of them could sit down over a pint of butterbeer. At a later juncture, she would have to invite Draco's group to meet with Harry and the others. It was time to put past House rivalries behind them. She pushed that thought aside for another moment and focused back on the task at hand. She looked to Minister Shacklebolt. "Right now, what we need to decide is if we are going to meet them in battle. It's either that or let them destroy our world."

Minister Shacklebolt nodded. "I agree. All those in favor," all the members of DA, some of the Hogwarts professors, both Draco's and Harry's group and a few of Ministry heads, raised their hands. "All those oppose," most of the older pureblood families raised their hands along with some employees from the Ministry. "It seems we will prepare for war." Shacklebolt decided.

Tanley jumped to his feet. "You cannot declare an act of war so easily, Shacklebolt. There are others who should be present. We do not have all the facts…", he would have continued if the Minister did not interrupt him.

"It does not matter, Tanley. I have made my decision. You are welcome to take the new developments back to your peers, but they should have answered my call to attend this meeting. We stand in agreement." At this, Tanley fastened his robe and exited the room, taking many of his fellow dissenters with him. He grumbled under his breath, and Shacklebolt did his best to ignore the wizard. He turned back to Harry and Hermione, his face grave. "What shall we do now?"

"We need all the time you can give us. A day, maybe two?" Hermione started.

"We need to find a way to defeat them." Harry pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose, determination set on his face. Hermione felt suddenly guilty for dragging him back into a situation so soon after his honeymoon. If anyone deserved some peace in the past two years it was him, but here he was jumping back into another life or death situation. However, she could not stop the small glimmer of happiness that bloomed in her chest that he was again fighting by her side.

"I'll send what Aurors we have out into the field to test what their weaknesses and strengths are." Shacklebolt looked to Ron, who nodded his head gravely.

"I'll get going now." Ron jumped back and headed for the door. Pansy followed after him and the two shared a private goodbye before he left on his mission.

Draco pulled Hermione aside from the fast-paced conversation still going among the rest and spoke for her ears alone. "Do you think…?" He picked up the hand that held Athena's ring and played with the ring on her finger. "She stepped in between Arthur and us once before. Perhaps she can assist us again."

Hermione looked up to Draco. "Perhaps? I would have to contact her and I haven't been able to in the past. She usually contacts me and even that wasn't through conventional means. I didn't even know she was coming before she showed up. But I suppose it is worth a shot." She nodded in agreement.

The pair turned back towards the group just as they decided to meet tomorrow morning for planning. Shacklebolt planned to speak more with the older families in hopes to convince them to fight. He also planned to contact other Wizarding societies and call on old alliances. It stood to reason that whatever the outcome in Wizarding England, it effected the entire Wizarding world. Ron had left already to contact the Auror department in hopes of gathering a scout mission to face off against the undead army. They were to engage and report back in two days time. Harry left specific instructions to his peers to find as many recruits as they could and they blindly followed his instruction, their face set in hard lines of war.

Ginny had to physically pull Harry away when the hour became too late and they were not accomplishing anything productive. Hermione walked silently behind the group as they dispersed, Draco's hand fastened within her clammy grasp. Luna and Blaise walked ahead of them, talking softly among each other; no doubt relishing in the last quiet moments before the storm. Hermione drew closer to Draco in the darkened halls of the Ministry, her heels from their dinner clicking loudly in the empty halls. It seemed like a world ago they were dancing in each other's arms and now they marched toward war. Draco silently lifted an arm around her shoulder and drew her in close. She wrapped an arm about his waist in response and held tight, a sudden shiver making its way down her body.

Something they had unleashed was headed for them and there was nothing they could do about it. Draco must have sensed her worry and dropped a light kiss to her temple. She squeezed him back in response and Athena's ring flashed around her hand.

* * *

_To be continued…  
A/N: I wanted to give you something before I left for my summer holiday. More to come when I return. _


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Ooh Chapter Thirteen on Friday the 13th! Freaky! Please read and enjoy :-)_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Ron crouched behind the shrubbery as the head Auror, a burly man by the name of Williams, turned and made two hand gestures at small group they had Apparated in with. The leaves of the bushes scratched at Ron's face and he quietly wiped the back of his hand at the itch and prepared himself for battle. After last night's hasty meeting, Ron had wasted no time in calling in the Auror Special Force of Elite Trackers to go against the newly risen army.

They Apparated fifty miles north of London to where a group of undead soldiers were set to march on a local village. The Muggle government had already gone into a tailspin over the unexplained arrival of undead soldiers, but it seemed nothing they could do put a dent into their unrelenting trek. They continued moving slowly towards some unseen destination, something dark and sinister pulling them closer to their target. Ron guessed their target was somewhere in Wizarding London. And nothing set in their way slowed them down.

Ron knew they had a few more hours of darkness before dawn would break and looking at his leader, he knew they were about to head into battle. Closing his eyes on more time and replaying the last kiss Pansy had given him before they left the Ministry, Ron rushed from behind the trees they were using cover, as soon as Williams gave the call.

There were only about twenty Aurors total. From what Ron could peer in the darkness, as they broke through the forest lines, somewhere between ten and twenty reborn soldiers marched in a crooked pattern towards the edge of the village.

As the line of Aurors reached upon them, Ron took out his wand alongside his teammates and started firing spells in rapid succession at Arthur's army. As Ron ran closer, he could discern more of what his eyes could not see from a distance. Arthur's reconstituted army looked like normal men. Their clothes were worn and tattered and clearly were representative of the Middle Ages they lived in. But they walked and fought like humans. Their skin carried an ethereal paleness that could in no way be normal, indicative of their rise from death. Their eyes were a milky white and held no irises. It was disconcerting to say the least.

The spells hit them but they seemed to be impervious to their effects. Ron and his team threw all the defensive spells he could think of: hexes his sister taught him, charms he had not used since his days at Hogwarts, even some new spells he had learns as an Auror. They had no impact. The army turned from their march towards the village, irritated at the disturbance and began marching towards the Aurors. The readied their swords and shields which had been previously lax in their hands and brought them to attention.

Reaching deep within his soul, Ron pulled at the reserve he carried for all things dark and prepared himself to throw the Killing Curse at the closest soldier near him. He shouted the words and watched as the green jet out light sucked at his very soul, but it shot straight and true into his opponent directly opposite him. Ron watched in horror as the undead man, he looked to be a peasant, looked down into his chest the light had evaporated into and then quizzically stared back up at Ron.

Ron grimaced. Of course, the Killing Curse could not kill what was already dead … or undead! He did not have much time to ponder it further as the farmer-turned-soldier lifted his sword and opened his mouth in a silent war cry. His tongue was pitch black and viscous fluid fell out of his mouth as he rushed at Ron.

Ron threw up a blocking shield, which thankfully held against the man's sword attacks. He only had time to throw out more offensive spells it nothing but anger the soldier further as his sword swooped down in angry arcs and slices.

For the strangest reason, Ron was taken back to Charms in his first year and the embarrassing event when he could not levitate a simple feather. It was Hermione's voice then that entered his brain and he could hear as clear as day her enunciation '_It's Lev-i-o-sa, not Levi-o-sa'_. Ron cast the charm perfectly at his assailant's sword. The man watched confused as his weapon was ripped from his hands before it turned on him and struck in the heart.

The man pulled and tugged on the hilt, now wedged in between his ribcage, but he still lived. It wasn't until Ron, levitated the sword out of his chest and sliced it above his neck that the man finally stopped struggling and fell down to the ground dead. For good.

Ron turned at shouted the commands at his teams, informing them of the weakness he found. Apparently fire worked as well. He watched as his fellow Aurors shot flames of blue fire at the zombies before they shrieked a terrible cry and fell to the ground, setting the grass aflame beneath them. The undead were not completely unsuccessful. They fought long and hard and did not give up even in the face of such magic.

It was not a long fight but eventually, the Aurors defeated the undead platoon. They had been injured and unfortunately, Williams, their leader had been lost. He had taken too many hits to the chest and lay face down in the grass. But they now knew that the undead could be defeated. By the pale light starting to flood the sky, Ron figured they only had a few more minutes until full daybreak. As the next in the succession of command, he ordered his men to quickly burn or vanish the bodies before the Muggles surely came to investigate. He figured there may be a need for mind modification if any had witnessed the small battle. He soured briefly at the sacrifice the Muggles did not even know was given for their protection.

After the job was done, Ron, covered in ashes and black blood, reeking of smoke, gave the signal for the group to Apparate back to the Ministry. Finally, some good news could be shared.

* * *

The God of the Underworld's lair was never her favorite place to visit. Athena could count on one hand how many times she had been there in as many millennia. Although the smell of rotten flesh had no effect on her immortal nose, the sight of damned souls reaching out to her for mercy never failed to pull at her compassionate heart. But she knew her uncle would be quite enraged at anyone who would try to leave the realm of the dead. The souls of the newly dead were the worst. They pulled and reached for her garments relentlessly and her brother Ares had to knock back a few unfortunate souls back with his spear.

"Why does Hades allow these degenerates to lounge around, I'll never know," Ares gave out disbelievingly.

"The ones who have truly accepted their fate rest in peace on the lower levels. It is not all bad, brother. I hear Persephone has created a true oasis in the deeper recessions. If they can find it, I'm sure they would not be here trying to escape," Athena responded. She pulled her cloak tighter to her person as they made their way down from the entry level of the underworld towards the deeper caverns her uncle resided in with his part-time wife. It spoke volumes that Hades would not come out and greet them personally, but she knew of his feud with her father and other uncles. But that did not deter her today.

Ares and Athena entered Hades' personal lair, a dais made of sharp metal greeted them and they walked into a perpetual garden of Eden. Animals and creatures that had long left the surface world of the Earth relaxed and lounged into expansive garden, seemingly at peace. It seemed as though her uncle was a collector of extinct animals and kept them as pets. _How quaint and mortal-like_, Athena smiled to herself.

"My niece," a booming voice called from on high. Athena could not place the voice and looked around the garden. Her uncle had yet to show himself, but her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword regardless. It never hurt to be too cautious around the Lord of the Underworld. "What brings you to my humble abode? Surely, the high and powerful Zeus would not stand for his kin to set foot in my Underworld?" Hades mocked as he materialized before her.

Hades was alike in stature and build similar to her father. Both boasted tall, strong physiques, but where her father's hair was long and white, Hades had his hair cut close to his head and was the deepest black. He wore black robes and in one hand he carried his weapon of power, a tall scepter.

Athena inclined her head out of respect and she saw her brother Ares, do the same beside her. "I have come for information. Surely you must know about the rising of Arthur's armies."

A black aura grew deep and heavy around Hades as his face darkened. "Yes, I know what Gwyn ap Nudd has done on the British Isle." Hades regarded Athena deeply with an incline of his head. "Surely, you must know I cannot interfere, no matter how much I despise what that pagan demi-god has done."

Athena nodded with a grimace. "I had assumed as much. But perhaps, there can be some way to negotiate with him. He must have some ground he is willing to give."

Hades turned and began to walk amidst his garden, his hands clasped behind his back. Athena fell in step behind him. After a moment, he continued on, "I have spoken with him and it seems that there is nothing I can offer him. He seeks what anyone would seek charged to the lonely detail of watching over the dead." Hades walked towards a large tree in the middle of the garden. It seemingly rose into the dark sky and was full of branches that reached out like terrifying limbs. The tree looked dead and boasted no greenery, but it still stood tall and strong. Athena followed his line of sight to the root of the tree where a young, beautiful brunette sat on a swing hanging down from the branches. The young woman, Persephone, swung herself around, lost in her own thoughts.

Athena's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I do not understand."

Hades turned from the young beauty to face Athena, his face open and cold at the same time. "_Life_." He paused. "The company of a woman, so warm and so _alive_, is a hard thing to resist in the midst of such death. It becomes awfully lonely here. But you wouldn't know that, know would you?"

Athena's eyes grew large with comprehension. "You mean …" She trailed off as she read the smirk growing on Hades face.

Hades drew closer to Athena. "Pendragon has promised Ap Nudd the last living descendent of Morgana Le Faye – a witch that is powerful, intelligent and if I'm to believe correctly, appealing to the eyes." Hades stepped back from Athena and began walking once more. He beckoned with his hand a large three-headed dog ran to his side. The beast walked in step beside its master. "Ap Nudd could hardly refuse. And I can't say I blame him. It is a hard request to ask a man to live his life surrounded by death, but it is even crueler to ask him to do it in solitude. I do not approve of his agreement, but I cannot fault him for his reasoning."

"So there is nothing that can be done?" Athena pressed, her quick mind already beginning to formulate plans and ideas. There was no conceivable way that Gwyn ap Nudd would claim her mortal Granger, but she was not about to voice that out loud to her uncle.

"I did not say that." Hades moved to his dais and sat down upon the throne. He kept his eyes on his bride as she swung in the distance. "Perhaps Gwyn ap Nudd can be persuaded for another in place of the mortal Granger? Perhaps he has already made up his mind? I do not know. But there may be room for someone else to take her place, to go in her stead."

"She would never agree for someone to hand over there life in place of hers," Athena said lowly. "Her heart is pure. It would be difficult to ask anyone for such a sacrifice."

Hades spread his hands wide. "Well, there you have it." He looked back to Persephone who had now moved off the swing and was walking towards the small dwelling not a few feet away from the large tree. "If you would excuse me, I am in need of some private time with my wife." Hades rose and swept past Athena. He paused and turned before he could walk any further. He spoke over his shoulder to Athena, "Oh and niece, good luck."

Athena took the dismissal for what it was and swiftly walked back to where Ares was waiting for her. Ares asked as soon as she neared, "Well?" He took in the worry that seemed out of place on her usually schooled features.

"We have to warn them, Ares. I do not know how, but we have to let them know."

Ares mouth dropped into a frown. "I had a feeling you were going to say that." Both immortal beings left the lively oasis in the sea of the dead. Once more, they headed for the surface world and the living.

* * *

It was dark and the nightmares repeatedly assaulted him. Theo did not know where he was. The room he was trapped inside was similar to the room back in Avalon. The same room he found that blasted chest in. He now knew what forces were compelling him to open the chest, but for the life of him, he could not stop himself from doing so. It was like being under the Imperius Curse; you were powerless to stop it, even though you knew what was going to happen.

Theo mentally re-played the scene over and over again in his head during the time that he had been trapped in here. He knew know that the soul of Arthur Pendragon fed on his insecurities, had fooled him into believing he could use his power to get Pansy back and repay Weasely for stealing his love – but how foolish he had been! Through Theo's hurt and grief, he could not see the evil that licked around the chest, could not feel the glee that marked behind the spirit's tempting words. It was full of promises, enticing and he was helpless to deny Arthur full access to his innate power, his physical body and mental control. And now Theo sat helpless and alone in a small room that mocked him and his decisions.

He did not know how many days had passed since they had made it to Avalon. To Theo, it felt like weeks, but he knew Arthur was using his time to plan something nefarious. The spirit overtaking his body was full of revenge, hell-bent on making his witch-sister pay for something committed thousands of years ago. Something in the very depths of Theo's soul told him it involved his friend, Draco, and Granger, but he did not know what or to what purpose. And worse of all, he did not know how to tell them. He was shut off from his own magic; Arthur had usurped it for his own. He tried beating against the lock door that kept him entombed inside the room. But doing so only resulted in his own head aching.

He gave up after what seemed like five days to him, but in reality, he could not guess how much time had actually passed. Arthur's voice would sporadically mock Theo's attempts at escaping the small room, and even though Theo had relented for now, he held firm that he would one day escape and overthrow Arthur. He just wasn't sure how.

_I very much doubt that, young one. _The mystified voice of Arthur spoke to Theo. Theo sank against the floor, stewing in his own anger as the bodiless voice laughed at Theo's display of defiance.

"Just wait," Theo promised darkly. Wand or not, Theo was finding a way out of this room. He knew he had let down his friends once before. He was not about to do it again.

_To be continued…_

* * *

_Author's note: I am so sorry for the long wait in between updates. I have not forgotten this story, dear readers. If you feel so inclined, please let me know what you think. Reviews may or may not (emphasis on the __**may) **__encourage me to update faster. Love and hugs to you all :-)_


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